L1-L1 WH80
by hidekins
Summary: In the year 20XX, Neo Tokyo is plagued by manipulated mass media, a corrupt police force and inflation of basic necessities. "L1-L1 WH80" is a small bar ran by Nozomi, helped out by Rin and Umi as her bartenders. It's time to mix drinks and change lives. VA-11 HALL-A AU. HonoUmi. Cover image drawn by noelclover, commissioned by me
1. Fluffy Dream

_"A couple of these will make your tongue feel velvet-y. More of them and you'll be sleeping soundly."_

* * *

"You know, you of all people should be the first one to get here."

"Now now, Umi-chan!" Nozomi laughed off Umi's stern voice and look as she walked down the alley leading to the bar that they had been running together for several years now: L1-L1 WH80. "Besides, it's not like we have any customers during opening hours, right?"

"And?" Umi crossed her arms, still dissatisfied with how nonchalantly Nozomi was treating her own bar. "What if there were?"

"Well, they'd have a handsome bartender to pass time with." Nozomi giggled as she finished unlocking the door to the bar and walking in.

"A bartender who cannot bartend," Umi mumbled as she followed Nozomi into the bar.

As the lights lit up the place and Nozomi began the daily routine of turning on every appliance in the bar, from the television screen above the bar to the jukebox in the lonely corner, Umi made her way to her mixing station and booted it up. To this day, Umi was amazed how sturdy of a machine the mixing station was. Cleaning aside, it worked as good as new, despite how… rowdy some customers have gotten in the past.

"Well, I'm gonna be in my office in the back. Yell at me if ya need something," Nozomi said as she passed by the counter and disappeared into the room past the "Employees only" door.

Umi began to scrub the different shaped glasses absentmindedly, the opening ritual of the bar never took too much time nor it needed too much attention, so Umi had to resort to thoughtless chores to pass the time until a customer arrived. L1-L1 WH80 was honestly in an awful part of the city, several blocks away from the nearest commercial sector, and far too many blocks away from the closest tourist area of Neo Tokyo. The lack of any customers in the first thirty minutes after opening hours was a testament to this, but Nozomi insisted in obtaining this location. Ever since she had gotten the idea to run her own bar, Nozomi wanted it to be called Lily White, but the most affordable way to open a bar was to go with the British Trademark Council, and they only handled names with coordinates. So L1-L1 WH80 it was. Umi tried to ignore that even if one had the… creative liberty to pronounce numbers as letters, it would be named-

The sound of the metal door sliding open derailed Umi's train of thought completely as she lowered the glass she had been cleaning and looked up. "Welcome to Lily Weighty- I-I mean…"

"Lily Weighty?! Hahaha, what's up with thyat?" Rin was not shy to laugh at her coworker's blunder, something that Umi was not too pleased with.

"You're late. Almost half an hour late." Umi frowned as the second bartender for Lily White showed up.

"I have a good reason!" Rin ran up to the counter and slammed her hands on it, something that did not startle Umi but did get her to frown even more.

"And what is it?" Umi asked unamusedly before raising her hand and pulling down Rin by her ear. The one above her other ear. She wanted to punish Rin, but not too much.

"K-Kayochin!" Rin pointed at the door, a Lilim stood right outside the bar. She gave Umi a small smile and a wave.

"Ah, Hanayo."

"Mhmm! C-Can you let go nyao?" Rin whimpered as she struggled to get out of Umi's grasp. The moment Umi let go, Rin sighed in relief and rubbed her cat ear. "S-She said that she wanted to come so I waited for her shift to end," Rin explained and waved at Hanayo to come in. The Lilim bowed at Umi before entering, Umi reciprocating with a simple nod.

Rin, all too pleased with herself now, took a step back from the bar before cracking her wrists and locked her eyes on the bar rail.

"Rin, don't you dare jump over the-"

But Umi's warning was too late, for Rin had already jumped over the counter, safely landing behind it and next to Umi.

"Rin! Don't ever do that again," Umi was about to grab Rin again, but she stepped away just before she could do so.

"You're nyat the boss of me!" Rin humphed.

"Nozomi!" Umi called out for the boss of her.

"What's up!" Nozomi's voice rang back from her office before she came out to see what was happening.

"Can you please tell Rin not to jump over the counter?"

"Rin-chan, if you break somethin' it's comin' out of your paycheck." Nozomi put her hands on her hips and frowned.

"O-Okay…" Rin mumbled and her ears drooped.

"Didja break anythin'?" Nozomi asked. Rin shook her head. "Then next time, lemme know when you jump it again. I wanna see it." Nozomi grinned and gave Rin a wink. "Ah, Hanayo-chan. Welcome to Lily White, hope you have a good time." Waving their customer goodbye, Nozomi walked back into her office.

"Umi-chan, you gotta record me next time!" Rin's mood had been lifted sky-high with Nozomi's request.

"No. And here." Umi handed Rin the glass she had been scrubbing and a clean cloth. "Scrub clean all of the glasses. Punishment for being late."

Rin groaned in response but did not say anything back, still happy thinking about the next time she would jump over the counter. "Sorry Kayo-chin, duty calls." Rin gave her an apologetic look.

"Don't worry Rin-chan. We can always talk later." Hanayo smiled and approached the counter, sitting in front of Umi.

"It's always a pleasure to see you, Hanayo," Umi resumed scrubbing glasses as Hanayo approached the bar.

"It's been a while, I hope everything's been fine."

Chatter like this always seemed like empty courtesy for Umi, but the way Hanayo spoke so softly and the way she looked at her was always so genuine that she could not help to make the exception for her.

"Well, Nozomi was late as usual. And then Rin got away with her stunts, as usual. I find myself surprised thinking about how this bar has been running for so long and-" Umi went silent, stopping herself before she went on a rant. "Sorry, I began to ramble."

"It's fine Umi-chan. You're the glue that sticks Lily White together. Someone needs to keep those two in check."

Hanayo's words made Umi smile. She supposed she was right. "Can I get you anything?"

"Hmmm…" Hanayo tapped her finger on the chin, making small dink sounds every time she did so. "Can I get a Fluffy Dream?"

Umi nodded and began to input the ingredients in her mixing station. Three parts Adelhyde, three parts Powdered Delta, and four parts Karmotrine. Hanayo had deceptively high alcohol tolerance so Umi always put additional Karmotrine in her drinks. Even though Umi assumed most Lilim were designed that way, the first time Umi had seen Hanayo outdrink Nozomi would never leave her mind. "Here," Umi handed Hanayo a green and sweet cocktail right after Hanayo put her card over the scanner to finish the transaction.

"Thanks," Hanayo replied alongside a smile before taking a sip of her drink. "Is… Rin-chan always late?" She asked in a quiet voice, not wanting her friend to overhear them.

"Well…" Umi began to think of the times that she had been left alone behind the counter multiple times, but only very few of those occasions Umi had needed help with customers. "It is not often that I need help with bartending during opening hours, but she's usually only late by a couple of minutes. It's nothing too bad, really."

"Really? That's a relief…" Hanayo let out a sigh before sipping on her drink. "Rin-chan has not always been… the greatest when it comes to responsibilities and stuff like that. I know that Nozomi-chan won't just fire her or anything but... " Hanayo trailed off, running her finger across the rim of her glass. The sound of the glass and the metal finger made for an odd sound.

"But it would be nice for her to commit to her responsibilities?" Umi finished her question.

"Yeah, it always worries me a little that she'll run out of options someday." Hanayo confessed, glancing at Rin from her peripheral vision.

"If she does, I'll do all I can to help her out."

"Thanks, Umi-chan. It means a lot to me." Hanayo smiled and took a long sip of her Fluffy Dream, finishing the rest of her drink. Hanayo put down her glass and slid it towards Umi.

Umi took the glass and put it in the sink to clean it later. "Can I get you anything else?"

"I'll have… a Moonblast. Make it big," Hanayo requested after taking a glance at the drinks menu on the screen behind Umi.

"A big Moonblast." Umi repeated, mostly out of habit rather than confirming the order. Big, so twelve Adelhyde, two Powdered Delta, two Flanergide and four Karmotrine. Ice and blended. "So, how was work?" She asked as the mixing station whirred the drink until it became blended.

"Oh, kids will be kids." Hanayo giggled. "You-chan made Yoshiko-chan cry when she took away her favorite toys and they didn't want to make up until their moms came to pick them up. Oh! Thanks." Hanayo hadn't noticed when her drink had been served but she quickly took a gulp out of it.

"You're welcome," Umi replied before she ran the tap water to clean the glass Hanayo had just used. She knew that kids could be… unreasonable, but Umi would not have the patience to be in Hanayo's line of work. "By the way, are kids not… unsettled by your looks?" She had always been curious about this, but she did not mean to pry too much on Hanayo's private life, especially regarding the fact that she was a Lilim.

"Well, they always stare at me on the first few days. Most of them get touchy, especially on the joints. Then they ask me if I'm a robot. I don't mind though!"

"Well, the key difference between a robot and a Lilim is that Lilim are fully designed to learn and feel emotions. Robots are just machines."

"I always have to explain that, and then they start asking if TVs and phones are robots. You would think it'd stop being funny the first time it happens." Hanayo giggled, reminiscing of the kids she had had to babysit before. "Kids are amazing, don't you think? They're always full of energy and curiosity, and above all else, innocence. It's hard to find such pure things in this world anymore."

"Not even the alcohol is pure anymore," Umi commented offhandedly, earning a chuckle out of her client. Hanayo talked of kids so passionately, it truly showed that her class of Lilim was designed for social interactions. She even looked like the kindest of mothers.

"Umi-chan! Stop hogging Kayo-chin!" Rin groaned rather loudly, still scrubbing glasses until they were sparkly clean.

"Stop coming late then," Umi replied and rolled her eyes. "Okay, I'll let you have Hanayo. But you still have to finish with those glasses."

"Yay! Aye aye captain!" Rin saluted before waving at Hanayo. "Come sit over here!"

"It's always nice to talk with you, Umi-chan," Hanayo said before changing to a stool in front of Rin.

"Welcome to Lily White," Umi said out of habit when she heard the metal door open.

"Hey, bartender!" Umi's new client boasted quite an attitude for her size. Umi had to suppress the urge to sigh. It was going to be one of those clients. Umi was able to take a better look at the client as she walked towards the counter. She looked like a DFC Lilim, and a rather young looking one at that. Her voice sounded much smoother though, like a CH1A. Like a human.

"These walls are soundproof, right?" The Lilim asked quietly as she looked around, inspecting every corner of the bar as if she was looking for something.

"Soundproofing isn't standard in BTC bars but because we're in a… less commercialized area, our walls are soundproof," Umi explained, still inspecting the Lilim in front of her. There was something familiar about her, something she could not pinpoint. Maybe someone else she knew had black hair like hers.

"So this bar is soundproof because it's a shitty area for a bar and you can't make a ruckus for everyone else in the neighborhood. Got it." The Lilim's tone of voice did little to impress Umi.

"So," Umi did not mean for her voice to sound so loud, "can I serve you a drink?"

"Oh! Uh, sure. You can serve me a Gut Punch. That is your cheapest drink, right? Yeah, serve me one of those awful things."

Umi eyed the Lilim one more time before she started to mix her drink. She did not even look old enough to drink alcohol. Well, she was not human per se, but there were still laws that regulated Lilim drinking.

"Here you go, miss…" Umi took a look at the cashier to read her client's name. "Miss Yazawa."

"Please, no one calls me that! I'm everyone's favorite idol! Nico Nico Nii!" Nico put on a smile that looked as fake as the "natural ingredients" in her mixing ingredients and posed with her hands above her head. It only made Umi feel like she received a quite literal Gut Punch.

"Right… Nico."

"See? Now you're getting it!" Nico grinned before she sipped on her drink. The moment the mix entered her mouth she made a disgusted expression and put her drink down. She certainly seemed like one who would not be able to handle such a strong drink. "Hey! This is actually awful!"

"Well, maybe you should not have come to a bar, Nico."

"What are you blabbering about? This doesn't have any alcohol in it!" Nico pointed at her drink before putting it on the other side of the counter.

"We don't serve minors here." Umi explained with a stern voice, ignoring the drink she had been returned.

"Minor?!" Nico gasped offendedly before she got off her stool. Umi kept her stern look, even if Nico looked shorter without her seat. "I am a fully developed Lilim!" she exclaimed before slamming down her identification on the counter.

Umi frowned and looked down at the ID card Nico had set down. Her assembly date was… "You're older than me," Umi thought out loud. "Forgive me, you just look so-"

"Young? I know I do, lady! Not every Lilim opts in for the upgrades." Nico's tone made Umi think she was not too fond of said upgrades. "Now, can you spike my drink, please?"

Umi was not too fond of Nico's wording but complied anyways. Instead of adding Karmotrine, Umi threw the drink into the sink and mixed a new one. "Say, Nico. Have we met before?" Umi's curiosity got the better of her.

"Oh? You mean you don't know me?" Nico's smug smiled made Umi think she was about to regret asking. The Lilim tied up her hair in twintails with a couple of ribbons, flipped one of them and cleared her throat. "Nico Nico Nii! I'm Neo Japan's number one idol, Nico Yazawa! Nico Nii loves every single one of you, and remember to buy my latest collab CD with A-RISE!"

Umi was dumbfounded. Not in her entire bartending career had she seen a circus act been performed in Lily White. Frankly, this could all have been a dream for all she knew.

"Hmm? Captivated by Nico's charms?" Nico's wink snapped Umi back into reality. Pleased with herself, the Lilim went back to her seat and took the drink Umi had prepared for her and took a sip of it. "Wow, this is still fucking awful."

"I added the alcohol though." Umi frowned, wondering if she had messed up the drink.

"I know, I'm just saying this is awful." Nico stuck out her tongue in disgust before taking another sip.

"Why order it then?"

"Because it's cheap," Nico answered quickly.

"I thought you said you were an idol," Umi asked, still confused. Did Nico really do all that act to pretend to be one?

"I wasn't always one! Nico Nii's story is a humble one, which you can buy in audiobook form for just a thousand yen!" The Lilim had gone from sad to complete business mode in a matter of seconds. Umi had to admit that her vocal range was impressive. Nico frowned when she did not get Umi moved not even by an inch and sighed. "Or you can get it for free for a Moonblast."

"I'm not giving you free drinks, Nico."

"Fine then! Just give me my Moonblast." Nico huffed and crossed her arms dejectedly. Her pout flipped to a happy and excited smile once Umi handed her her drink.

"Do you like Moonblasts?" Umi felt compelled to ask, seeing how excited Nico was about drinking hers.

"Of course!" Nico smiled and put her drink down just to make her pose. "They're sweet, happy, pink and girly, just like Nico Nii! It also helps that they're not too expensive." Nico's voice of nostalgia made Umi raise an eyebrow. So far the only genuine thing about her.

"So what brings an idol to Lily White?" Umi asked as she cleaned the glass she had used for the previous drink.

"Lily White?" Nico tilted her head, puzzled. "I heard you say that before. Wasn't this bar's name just a code or something?"

"Well, yes, but the owner of the bar really wanted it to be Lily White. Hence the… less than ideal location," Umi explained.

"Oh, well, that works out for Nico you know. Nico needed a lowkey place to drink her worries away. Too many eyes in the other districts! And this is nearby… ish to my home." Nico explained as she took another generous sip of her drink. "Nico doesn't get too much privacy nowadays," she mumble into her glass.

"Well, as a bartender I promise to keep everything you say here a secret." This was true with most bartenders and somewhat obvious but Umi figured that saying it out loud might comfort the idol a bit.

"Just what Nico needs! A private therapist that only charges me a Moonblast per hour."

"Oh, if you want someone to chew their ears off, we have someone over there with four of them." Umi pointed at Rin and Hanayo on the other end of the counter, who had been too busy talking with each other to notice the newest patron of the bar.

Nico gasped when she saw Rin. Her crimson eyes were fixated on those cat ears on her head. "A cat bomber…"

"Cat boomer." Umi corrected her.

"A cat boomer! That's what Nico said." Umi did not manage to control her eye roll, but thankfully Nico was not looking at her. "Aren't those cute? Nico sometimes has to put on animal ear headbands, but nothing beats the real deal."

Rin turned towards them, Nico's lack of subtlety catching her attention. She excitedly turned to Hanayo and tapped her shoulder with enthusiasm before pointing at Nico. Hanayo made a sound Umi was not even aware Lilim could make, but after exchanging some murmurs with Rin, the two girls approached them.

"N-Nico Yazawa!" Hanayo gasped once she was on the stool next to Nico's.

"Oh, a fan!" Nico's voice was more than saccharine. Umi was glad she did not have to hear her speak like that all this time. "Finally, some recognition in this abandoned lot of a bar."

"Me too-nya!" Rin was practically bouncing in place out of excitement. "Kayochin knows everything about you and we always listen to your songs!"

"And that last album with A-RISE was amazing!" Hanayo nodded one too many times.

"Oh oh! Your next song should be about cheeseburgers! And and and about waffles!"

"Hey, what are your names?" Nico asked as she rummaged through her pocket.

"Rin!"

"A-And I'm Hanayo!"

"Got it." Nico grinned as she pulled out a marker and wrote her signature on her glass and on Hanayo's, much to the other two's rejoice.

Umi sighed, noticing the marker was a permanent one too. Tonight was going to be a long night.

* * *

"Is this place still open?"

"We're closing up the bar, sorry!"

"Oh, okay. I'll come by earlier next time then."

"Come again!"

"Who was that?" Umi asked her coworker as she stepped out of the restroom.

"A client I hope, she looked like a cop…"

"She wouldn't have left if she had come as a client. Let's hope she comes back later."


	2. Gut Punch

_"It's supposed to mean "a punch made of innards", but the name actually described what you feel while drinking it."_

"Can you believe that Nico-chan gave us her contact info?" Rin was bouncing with excitement and was shoving her phone in Umi's face. Rin, Hanayo and Nico had gotten along surprisingly well and the idol had stayed in the bar for several hours, simply chatting with them and occasionally ordering another drink. It had been a slow day, but it did not surprise Umi too much. "She said she'd come back soon too! I wonder how soon. I hope today soon."

"Yes, lets." Umi hoped for an idol break before she had to see Nico again, but she would not say no to a client. Especially if said client could boost the bar's popularity.

"Maybe she can blog about Lily White! That'd make flocks of people come for sure! And you know what more people means, Umi-chan?"

"What does it mean?" Umi asked, deciding to indulge her coworker.

"More tips, nya!" Rin bumped her fists in the air. Umi chuckled at her enthusiasm. The prospect of bigger tips was attractive, but she still had to split them with Rin, so it ended up being a meager amount of money more often than not.

"Just make sure you get their orders right." Umi's comment garnered her a stuck out tongue from Rin, who had returned to her own mixing station.

"Welcome to Lily White," Umi greeted when she heard the metal door slide open. It was a woman with red hair, tied in a single low sidetail over the shoulder.

"Thank god this place's a bar," she said to herself as she walked towards the counter and took a seat in front of Umi. "A big Gut punch. Strong, please."

Umi took a brief moment to inspect her before starting to prepare her drink. Years of meeting customers told her that she came here to drink her stress away, whatever its source might be. From the branded clothing she was wearing, it was either her job or her love life. _Ten Bronson extract, two Adelhyde and five Karmotrine_. That should be strong enough. _Aged and on the rocks._ "Here you go, Miss Nishikino," Umi read her client's name once the transaction had gone through. Maki Nishikino.

"Thanks," Maki took the cold glass and in a single gulp downed almost half of it.

"I don't think you should be drinking that so fast."

"Thanks for your concern, _bartender-_ "

"Umi."

" _Umi._ But I came here to get a break from the hospital, not to be told what to do." _Well, work it was and not a lover._ With this kind of attitude, Umi pitied whoever was Maki's partner, if she had one. Maki put the glass against her lips and began to gulp down the rest of her drink, putting the empty glass on Umi's side of the counter. "Another one." Maki's cheeks were quickly going the same color as her hair.

Umi would have protested serving her again so quickly but her guts told her that she would get her ear chewed off by Maki or that she would simply leave. Instead, she simply nodded and started to prepare another Gut punch. The way Maki had drunk the previous one so quickly and was visibly starting to get intoxicated already told Umi that either she desperately wanted to get drunk, or, and the more likely reason, that she was a very poor drinker. Eyeing Maki one last time, Umi input the same recipe but with three less Karmotrine. "Here you go."

Maki took the drink and this time took a small sip. She seemed much calmer this time. If Umi had to guess, the alcohol was already starting to affect her and she was consciously slowing down. Umi was impressed, never had she had a client get drunk so fast on her before.

"Miss Nishikino, you said you were coming from a hospital?" Umi inquired, as her last name rang a bell in her head.

"Yes, the Nishikino Medical Center," Maki answered before taking another sip of her drink.

Nishikino Medical Center. One of the few large private hospitals of Neo Tokyo. Umi had a very rich woman in front of her right now. "What brings a doctor like you to this establishment?"

"I-I never mentioned being a doctor," Maki suspiciously mumbled and kept her drink close, as if it would hide her from Umi.

"Your name and the hospital name gave it away," the bartender answered.

"Well… downtown is too far away from the hospital, and I really needed a drink," Maki explained before turning her head away, her cheeks red but not from the alcohol. "Is that so bad?"

"I'm not your parent or your guardian, you can come drink whenever you want." Umi gave her a small smile before putting on a disapproving look, like the one of a parent. "Unless you have to work, in which case I would highly discourage you from drinking. I'd urge you to leave, actually."

"I don't work until tomorrow morning. Is that much fine, Umi?"

"Yes, I suppose it is."

"Good." Maki smiled, proud of herself with this little victory. The childishness of the doctor surprised Umi, but she figured it was the alcohol talking and not her.

The two fell into silence after that, Maki taking her time with her Gut punch while scrolling through her phone. An occasional hum came from her as she read whatever she was looking and Umi knew not to pry on someone else's privacy by asking what had amused her. Instead of allowing herself to be distracted, Umi ran through all the different recipes for the cocktails that Lily white served. She was not particularly in need of it nor had ever been the forgetful type, but it kept her mind occupied and her skills sharp as usual.

 _Crevice spike, two Powdered deltas, four Flanergide, optional Karmotrine, all blended. Sour and sobering. Beer, one Adelhyde, two Bronson extract, one Powdered delta, two Flanergide and four Karmotrine, all mixed. Bubbly and vintage. Brandtini-_

"Hey, Umi." Maki's call snapped Umi out of her concentration. Seeing how she had gotten her attention, Maki continued, "is this what you've always wanted to do?"

"Do what?" Umi asked, unsure if she had the whole picture. Maybe she missed something before Maki said her name.

" _This_ ," Maki repeated, signaling the bar around them. "Have you always wanted to do this? Bartending?"

"Well… no. Not really," Umi answered. She took a look at Maki's drink, half empty now, before continuing. "The bar was more of a backup plan. My parents owned a traditional martial arts dojo and I was supposed to inherit it," Umi explained. Maki hummed softly as she sipped her Gut punch.

"What happened to it?"

"We had to close it," Umi answered quickly and briefly. It was not a lie, but Umi did not feel too comfortable sharing her life story with a stranger, even if strangers often did that with her.

"How did you end up as a bartender then?" Maki asked curiously. "It seems like a weird thing to do after teaching martial arts."

"Back in university I didn't drink much like the rest of the… less responsible students, but I did find enjoyment out of mixing drinks. I found myself invited to parties to mix their drinks, even if it had been amateur bartending. My drinks were worth dealing with my attitude, apparently." Umi's unamused tone of voice came out more apparent than she intended to. "After the dojo closed, I attended to the BTC bartending program where I met Nozomi, and here I am now babysitting my boss and my coworker."

"You mean the cat boomer over there?" Maki asked, eyeing Rin on the other side of the counter. Rin was happily scrolling through her phone. Her waste of time made Umi frown when she could very well be doing something more productive, like running a checkup on her mixing station, cleaning her side of the counter or taking out the coins from the jukebox. "I've done _catifications_ before. Several," Maki commented off handedly.

"It's always been weird to me how adding cat ears can treat Nanomachine rejection," Umi thought out loud.

"The cat ears don't treat NMR, they're just a side effect of the genes that cure it. They don't even function as proper ears, they're just cartilage, skin and muscle. Useless in every single practical sense." Maki kept staring at Rin while moving her glass in circular motions before taking a sip.

"They're very much essential during fetal growth if you don't want the child suffer extreme pain after birth due to nanomachine rejection." Umi pointed out. She also briefly stared at Rin's cat ears before looking back at her client. "Have you ever performed it one someone purely for cosmetic reasons?"

Maki took a deep breath and let it out in an annoyed sigh. "Yes, even if I personally disapprove of it. My first ones were purely cosmetic and I needed the experience. And the Nishikino Medical Center is a private hospital, so we can't really say no when a CEO asks for it and has a paycheck on the millions," Maki explained with a disapproving tone. "Sometimes I wish we had more policies like the public hospitals, no cat boomers unless they're necessary."

"I see…" Umi glanced at Rin once more and caught her ears moving up and down as she giggled to whatever she was looking at. Probably another cat video for all she knew.

"So, bartending is still something you fully enjoy, despite not being the first thing you wanted to do," Maki summarized their previous topic, as if asking for confirmation of what she had understood.

"Yes, that is the gist of it," Umi replied with a nod.

Maki then gulped down the rest of her drink and stood up. Instead of walking out, the doctor changed seats to one in front of Rin's and ordered something Umi could not quite hear. Rin was so caught off guard that she almost dropped her drink in the sink.

Umi rolled her eyes and began to clean the glass she had used for Maki's first drink when she heard the door open once more. "Welcome to Lily white, officer," she greeted the policewoman who had just walked in.

The officer walked up to the counter and saluted Umi. "Neo Tokyo Police Patrol, Officer Kousaka Honoka, presenting for duty!" The orange hair stood out with the dark blue uniform.

"Welcome, officer. How can I help you tonight?" Umi asked politely. Umi had thought she was the officer from last night, but she seemed to be here for other reasons.

Honoka laughed, placed her cap on the counter and sat down on the stools. "Officer's when I'm on duty, ma'am. Call me Honoka, and you'd be doing your city a great favor if you could serve me a beer."

Umi raised an eyebrow before starting to prepare Honoka's drink. It seems like she was wrong, she was most likely the same officer Rin had to turn away. _One Adelhyde, two Bronson extract, one Powdered delta, two Flanergide and four Karmotrine, all mixed._ "Here you go, officer-"

"Nu uh, what's my name?" Honoka cut her off and refused to take her drink.

"Miss Kousaka?" Honoka's frown made Umi correct herself. "Um… Honoka?"

Honoka's frown flipped upside down with a grin and took the mug off of Umi's hand. "You get it now!" she cheered before taking several big gulps out of her beer and putting it down on the counter with a pleased sigh. "Man that hits the spot!"

Umi found herself staring at Honoka; more specifically, how expressive she was. In all of her years in Neo Tokyo she had never met a police officer that did not berate her, abuse their authority, or let alone have such a bright personality. She probably stood out in the force, without even taking in consideration her brightly colored hair.

"Another one, please!" Honoka waved the empty mug in front of Umi, who silently took it and put it in the sink for future cleaning. Umi doubled the ingredient count for the next beer to make it bigger. Surely Honoka would not mind. Once the mix finished poured into the large glass mug, Umi handed it to her. "Ooh, nice," Honoka said as she took the large drink.

"You sure like beers," Umi commented offhandedly, having started to wash the other glass mug.

"Nothing beats drinking a good, cold beer after a stressful day of policing around." Honoka nodded and grinned after taking another swig of her drink.

"So what bring a NTPP police officer to these premises?" Umi asked curiously, the mug in her hands as she cleaned it.

"Umi-chan, I told you to just call me Honoka. Officer if I'm on duty, and officer Honoka for my friends while I'm on duty," she explained. "Well, the other night I had a pretty rough patrol so finding this place to unwind was a blessing. A curse, really! You guys were closing," Honoka finished with a pout.

"Sorry for the inconvenience, but my boss starts to whine when we do extra hours. Honestly, she should be putting an example for us but instead she's the one who wants to leave the most out of all of us." Umi finished her rant by putting the glass mug down with a little bit more force than she intended to, startling Honoka in the process. "S-Sorry." Thankfully the glasses the BTC provided their bars with were somewhat sturdier than regular ones.

"It's fine, everyone's got stuff to complain about!" Honoka laughed and waved it off. "Man if I had to make a list about the shitty stuff within the NTTP, I'd run out of memory on my phone!" Umi was not sure if she should laugh or be worried about Honoka's joke.

"Space. Not memory." Umi's correction went unnoticed, Honoka too busy gulping on her beer to pay any attention.

"Hey, Umi-chan," Honoka spoke once she had drank down most of her beer, "did you know that original beer has basically the same baking process as bread?"

"First of all, you don't _bake_ beer. And secondly, they can't be the same process, if you used the same process you'd get the same product," Umi explained. "Brewing beer involves malting dried and cracked grains, mashing said grains and then boiling them before letting it ferment. Nowadays, traditionally brewed beer is a luxury, but we can still recreate the flavor of it through the use of chemicals. Bread involves less alcohol in the process."

Honoka whistled once Umi had finished her explanation, something Umi had gone on without even thinking about it. "Wow Umi-chan, you sure know your alcohol." Honoka giggled and with another swig finished the rest of her drink.

"W-Well, it's a given when you work as a bartender for as long as I have." Umi prided herself on her extensive knowledge, but she tried to not show it too much in her voice.

"Heh, I wish I could say the same thing about my job," Honoka quietly mumbled, rubbing the rim of her now empty mug.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Umi asked, not having heard what the policewoman had said.

"Oh! Nothing, um… I said that I wanted a…" Honoka paused to look at the menu of drinks on the counter before continuing, "a Mercuryblast."

"Mercuryblast on its way." Umi nodded and started to prepare it. _One Adelhyde, one Bronson extract, three Powdered delta, 3 Flanergide and 2 Karmotrine, on the rocks and all blended._ Once the blue mix finished pouring into the tall glass, Umi handed it over.

"Were any thermometers-"

"No, no thermometers were harmed in the creation of this drink." Umi cut off Honoka, earning her a frown.

"At least let me finish my jokes before you shoot them down," Honoka complained.

"Well, try coming up with jokes that aren't already in the BTC recipe guide next time," Umi suggested before giving Honoka a playful grin.

Honoka was dumbfounded for a moment before she smiled back and raised her drink. "For the best bartender I've had yet," she said as lightly tilted her drink towards Umi before taking a sip from it.

Umi could not help but to smile as she watched Honoka slowly gulp down her drink. Her cheeks had visibly gone red at this point, but she kept on drinking until the glass was empty.

"Honoka, maybe you should call it a night. You shouldn't get too drunk, given your profession," Umi gave her opinion, which was only further cemented when Honoka let out a big yawn.

"Hmm, yeah, I guess you're right, Umi-chan. I think I'm gonna go home now." Honoka nodded and got off her seat, stretching out her limbs and turning her upper body to the sides, audibly cracking a few joints. "Thanks for the drinks."

"Come again," Umi said as Honoka began to walk out.

"You can count on it!" were the last words Umi heard from the officer as she walked out of the bar and disappeared out of sight.

Umi let out pleased sigh, proud of having served another customer to satisfaction, and started to reorganize her station.

"Aaand Nico Nii is baaack!" Somehow, the sound of the door opening went unnoticed by Umi, and now a certain Lilim's voice rang once more in her ears.

"Nico, welcome back," Umi greeted, putting the last glass Honoka had used aside to attend her new customer.

"Umi-chan!" Nico greeted Umi back with a smile, which felt more genuine than the one. Not too genuine though. "Can pretty Nico get a pretty Moonblast?"

"... right, sure." Umi nodded and began to input the ingredients for Nico's pretty Moonblast. "Thanks for coming back." Umi smiled as she handed Nico her drink.

Nico stared at her drink for a moment before starting to drink it, humming happily as she did so.

"It's always good to see customers come again."

"This location's reaaally convenient for Nico! She appreciates it," Nico said in a singing voice.

"It's a shame there aren't too many people who think like that." Umi's comment made Nico hum a single note, which promptly became a melody. Probably one of her songs.

"Why don't people come to this lovely bar with such a handsome bartender?" Unfortunately, Nico's overly sweet voice ruined the compliment for Umi.

"Weren't you the who said it was a 'shitty location' yesterday?" Umi raised an eyebrow and squinted her eyes.

"Well, Nico didn't know Umi nor her amazing drinks!" Nico defended herself. After taking another sip, Nico put down her drink and smiled. "I know! Come closer." Nico waved at Umi as she rummaged her phone out of her pocket. Umi frowned when she realized Nico was about to take a picture. She had never been too much of a fan of photos, especially with people that were not her friends. Still, Umi was certain that if Nico was to upload the picture in social media, the bar would see a boost in clientele.

"Now Umi, Nico Nico Nii!" Nico grinned and put her unoccupied hand on her head like she had done the other day. Too embarrassed to do the same, Umi simply smiled and put out her index and middle finger.

"No no no! You have to Nico Nico Nii!" Nico turned to Umi and frowned disapprovingly.

Umi sighed in defeat and copied Nico's pose. "L-like this?"

"Yeah, like that! Both hands would've been better, but one handed is fine too. Now, Nico Nico Nii!" Umi smiled once more, although lacking much enthusiasm when compared with the Lilim. Nico sat back and inspected the photo. "Well, you're not smiling as happily as you should be when have Nico Nii with you, but that's fine. You kinda look like a dork, I like it."

"E-Excuse me?" Did she just call her a… _dork_?

"Neo Japan's number one idol is about to boost Lily white to… to..." Nico trailed off, something had gotten Nico's attention. Curiously, Umi turned towards whatever Nico was staring at. "Hey, bartender. What's her name." Nico had sat down and leaned towards Umi to whisper to her.

"Um… that's Maki," Umi replied, still wondering why Nico was staring at her so intently.

"What does she drink?" Nico whispered once more.

Umi raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Well, I presume she drinks water, and anything else anyone else drinks-"

"No no, you dummy! Nico didn't mean that!" Nico shushed Umi, despite her being the loud one. "I meant alcohol. What's her favorite drink?"

"Oh." _Of course. She meant that._ "Well, she hasn't shown a preference for a particular drink, but she seems to enjoy bitter drinks."

"That works out perfectly for Nico. Give that redhead hottie a Gut punch! My treat!" Umi had to wonder how this Lilim managed make whispering sound _loud_. "Oh, but don't call her a redhead hottie. And don't say my name."

"... Right." Umi was not quite sure when was the last time she had to do something like this. People usually only did this when there were a lot of people at the bar, never when it was just… two. Shrugging that logic aside, Umi finished mixing Nico's request and walked over to Rin's mixing station. Ignoring Rin's questioning looks, Umi presented the drink to Maki. "From the… _lady_ over there."

Maki looked at the drink curiously before looking at Nico on the other side, waving at her with a smile. Taking the drink with her, Maki sat down next to Nico.

"Umi-chaaan! Thank you-nya!" Rin hugged Umi tightly and nuzzled her. "I need my break, Rin wouldn't handle Maki-chan's complaints about work any second longer! Especially when she talked about the gory surgeries," Rin sniffled and sobbed.

Umi rolled her eyes and petted Rin's head. "Fine, go take your break. I'll handle these two."

"Yaaay! Freedom!" Rin threw her arms in the air and in a blink of the eye was gone of the bar, having gone out through the back entrance.

 _At least she didn't jump over the counter again_ , Umi mused as she walked back to her drinking station.

"You like your drink?" Nico asked in the same overly sweet voice that Umi hoped she did not have to hear, much to her dismay.

"Well, I don't particularly dislike it. What do you want?" Maki asked with suspicion. "Hey, Umi. Is this safe to drink?"

Umi nodded. "Yes, I prepared it myself."

"H-Hey! Nico would never do that sort of thing!"

"So, _Nico_. What do you want?" Maki asked once again.

Nico recoiled a bit, her plan already going off track. "N-Nico just wants you to have a good time, that's all."

Umi leaned back, unsure if she should get involved in this conversation. Her instincts told her not to, and they veered Umi off of trouble plenty of times before. There was no reason to not trust it this time.

"Well, if you want to impress someone, you probably shouldn't order them a _Gut punch_ ," Maki commented as she swayed her drink.

"W-Why not? The bartender told me you liked bitter things."

"Because it's the cheapest drink in literally every single bar, that's why."

"Still, aren't you enjoying it? Nico thinks that's the important part."

"Well…" Maki looked down at her drink for a moment. "I can always appreciate a free drink," she commented and took a sip of her Gut punch. When Maki glanced at Nico, Nico smiled warmly and Maki found herself smiling back for a moment.

"So, can Nico get your name?" There it was, that tone of voice again. Umi was surprised when Maki did not gag or choke on her drink, as she presume she would have done.

Maki took a long sip from her drink and looked at Nico. "Maki."

"Okay, Maki-chan! Now, Nico Nico Nii!" Striking the same pose when she took a picture with Umi. Maki's only reaction was to gaze at Nico's phone somewhat curiously as Nico took a picture.

"You're not uploading that," Maki quickly warned Nico, who was now happily looking at the photo.

"Of course I'm not. Maki-chan's frowning so much I think I'd actually lose fans over this. But I think I'll keep it for myself." Nico nodded, pleased with the picture. "You should smile more Maki-chan, it'd be a shame to see you frowning all the time!"

Maki laughed "And end up like me? No way."

"What's that supposed to mean? Nico smiles all the time and her fans adore her for it!"

" _Smiles,_ she calls them." Maki rolled her eyes and took another sip. "A smile as manufactured at that body of yours."

"Excuse me, what does me being a Lilim have to do with anything?" Nico frowned and placed her hands on her hips.

"That you were made just for that. Putting on fake smiles so that they can plaster if on every single billboard."

"Maki-chan! You've got it all wrong! T-That's only advertisements! PR Campaigns, you know, usual idol-"

"Then, how you somehow show up and steal the spotlight whenever something _actually important_ is happening out there, like a protest or a march? You don't care about music. You just put on a pretty face and sing a dumb song whenever the government wants you to."

Nico gasped offendedly and stared silently at Maki for a few seconds before turning to Umi. "Bartender. Blue fairy. Put as much alcohol in it as possible because I need to be drunk to listen to this… _lady._ " Umi was certain she heard Nico start a word with a 'b' before she forced herself to address Maki as 'lady'.

 _Blue fairy, four Adelhyde and one Flanergide. Optional Karmotrine._ Umi glanced at Nico one more time before inputting five parts of Karmotrine. _All aged and mixed._ As soon as Umi handed the blue mix had Nico gulped it down.

"Look, Nishikino." Nico breathed out, pointing a finger at Maki. Maki did not even bother to look at Nico, instead slowly sliding her finger on the glass's rim. "Do you think that I had a choice on that? Do you actually think that I wanted to perform with _Midnight cats_ when people were gathering on the streets to use their right of free speech? That I have to host some dumb ass TV show when there are police officers shooting at peaceful marches? That I have to do _something_ to avert people's eyes whenever someone with a lot of money fucks up?"

Nico growled in annoyance when Maki had not even spared her a look, driving the Lilim to grab her by the shoulder and turn her to face her. "I really hope you don't actually believe any of that bullshit. They don't care about the music I make, the songs I sing or the fans I genuinely adore. They only care about timing my album releases to the next riot. That collab with A-RISE? That was four fucking years ago. I haven't wanted to be Nico Nii for six years now."

Nico had to pause to take a breathe. It was not until then that Umi noticed the tears welling up on her eyes. Umi never knew Lilim were able to cry.

"I can't stop being Nico Nii, because they have contracts and I'm a stupid hunk of metal that they can just disassemble and make it so I don't get built again. And you know what the worst part of all of this is, Nishikino?" Nico had gone silent, waiting for Maki's reponse.

"I-I don't-"

"Of course you don't know." Before Maki could finish, Nico began talking again. "It's that then, I have people like you, thinking that I want to do all of this. That think that sometimes I don't have to drink myself to forget about Nico Nii, if only for a night. That when I don't, I have to think about all the people who have suffered and gone unnoticed because of me. That don't think that I have to look for soundproofed bars so that the press, or something _worse_ , hears me talk about this."

"I-I-"

"So get that stick out of your ass, Nishikino. It's shame that such a pretty face is ruined by an attitude as bitter as your tastes." Nico held eye contact with Maki for a good few seconds before turning to Umi. "Sorry," she mumbled before getting off of her seat and walking out of the bar without another word.

For once in her entire bartending career, Umi was left speechless, still shocked by Nico's words. It took her a few more moments to compose herself, shaking her head and taking a look at Maki. She had remained the same, her mouth still open from when Nico had last interrupted her.

"Maki, are you alri-"

"Sorry, I-I think I need to leave. Um, here. Sorry, again." Maki fumbled with her words as she struggled to take out a bill out of her pocket and putting it on the counter before she got off her seat and left as well.

Umi did not feel right about saying anything else, so she decided to keep her _come again_ farewell to herself for tonight. She was going to ask Nozomi if they could close early, or if she could leave earlier.


	3. Sunshine Cloud

_"Tastes like old chocolate milk with its good smell intact. Some say it tastes like caramel too..."_

"Are ya sure you're up to bartend tonight? I can give ya some more free time if-"

"I'm fine, thanks, Nozomi." Umi gave her boss a smile. "I was just shaken a little last night."

"Yeah, Rin-chan and I watched the security footage after you left. Never seen anyone lash out that bad in a while," Nozomi said as she finished opening up the bar. "Poor Nicocchi, she must have a lot of things on the back of her mind."

"Nicocchi?" Umi repeated as she helped Nozomi turn on every appliance in the bar. "Do you mean Nico?"

"Mhmm!" Nozomi plugged in the jukebox and began to browse the music library. "That's the name I've given her," she explained as she scrolled through the music before finding what she wanted.

Umi stopped as she was walking to her mixing station to listen to the music her boss had chosen. "Is that…"

"Yup! It's one of her songs." Nozomi grinned and turned to Umi. "Pretty romantic for someone of her looks. Whaddya think?"

"It's… not what I expected from her," Umi admitted, listening for a few more moments before she continued preparing the bar for opening hour.

"Well, it's one of her more adventurous songs. Her usual stuff is probably exactly what you think it is," Nozomi cleared up and waited for the song to end before she made her way to her office. "If ya need somethin'...?"

"I let you know," Umi finished. Pleased with her employee, Nozomi walked into her office but not before giving Umi a thumbs up.

"U-Umi-chan!"

There was a first time for everything, Umi thought to herself as she saw a very agitated Hanayo right by the entrance of the bar.

"Hanayo, is everything alright?" Umi was compelled to ask. Whatever had the Lilim like this did not seem to be an immediate danger, so the curiosity got the better of her.

"A-Amazing news! Look!" Hanayo was not making too much sense to Umi, but before she could inquire as to what the amazing news were, Hanayo had put down her phone on the counter.

On her phone's screen was what seemed a very pink blog post. Taking the phone to get a better look, Umi was surprised to find it was Nico's blog, featuring the photo that she had taken with her last night. Umi frowned, did she really look like a dork? She thought she looked fine in it.

"Nico-chan blogged about Lily White! She talked about Rin-chan, you, and even me!" Hanayo explained with excitement as Umi scrolled through the post. The post itself was not too long, but it did dedicate a whole paragraph about them. And then were the photos: a selfie she had taken with Hanayo and Rin, photos of the autographed glasses, one of the jukebox, and photos of her drinks. When had she even taken those?

The Lilim had done her research, the correct address was there alongside a good route to get there using the few landmarks in the area. What perplexed Umi the most was that there was no mention of the scuffle she had with Maki, not even a hint about it.

"Isn't it amazing?" Hanayo was still starstruck about being featured in an idol's blog post.

"I'm more amazed that she didn't mention anything about last night," Umi admitted.

"Huh? What happened last night?"

"Nico had a fight with another customer. She ended up ranting about how bad it was to be an idol," Umi explained as she handed back Hanayo's phone. "I never imagined she had it that bad."

"Oh…" Hanayo pouted and fiddled awkwardly with her phone. "Yeah, the idol industry is not that great… I do my best to not think about it. I-I know it doesn't help anyone but…"

"Nico would be happy to hear that you love her music," Umi reassured her and began to input a recipe in her mixing station. "She's very passionate about it."

"I-I've always loved idols, since I was little. Most of them are CH1A King models, which look so pretty and have amazing voices too." Hanayo put her hand on her chest and let out a nostalgic sigh.

"Don't you have some CH1A parts too?"

"Yes, a CH1A voice modulator. It, um, helps with calming down children. Especially when I have to babysit them," Hanayo explained. "Idols always sing about happy things like love… Whenever I felt sad, my caretaker put on idol music. They'd always calm me down."

"Would a Fluffy Dream do that too?" Umi asked as she placed the green cocktail in front of Hanayo. "It's on the house."

Hanayo gasped briefly before looking at Umi and smiling at her. "T-Thanks. Yes, I think they help." The Lilim gently raised the glass and took a long sip out of it.

Idols were a comfort for Hanayo and Umi was not about to take that away from her with whatever Nico had talked about last night. Instead, she could do what she knew did best: serve her regular her favorite drink. She could also change the topic while she was at it.

"We had a police officer yesterday too," Umi began. Hanayo glanced at Umi and put her drink down. "She was the weirdest NTPP officer I have ever seen."

"What was so weird about her?" Hanayo asked curiously. Umi smiled, the gloomy air around her now gone.

"Orange hair, blue eyes. She was loud, but not Nico kind of loud, er, I mean…"

"I know what you mean. I was with her two nights ago." Hanayo giggled.

"She also was very open and friendly. Perhaps to a fault in her line of work, a police officer with those traits sounds…" Umi went silent, trying to find a word that was on the tip of her tongue.

"Too good to be true?" Hanayo's offer was accepted with a nod from Umi's part. Hanayo hummed and looked down at her half-empty drink for a moment. "She seems like a nice policewoman from a movie or something."

"She said she was coming back too, I hope she becomes a regular," Umi commented as she wiped her mixing station clean. It was not particularly dirty but she was not going to let it become so.

"Oh?" Hanayo perked up with a smile, one Umi did not see very often. "Was she that good?" she asked with a playful tone.

Umi felt her cheeks quickly burn up and she shook her hands and head. "N-No! I-I did _not_ mean anything like that! T-That's shameless!"

"What's shameless?!" Rin's voice rang across the bar, the second bartender making her entrance by taking a leap and landing with her hands on Hanayo's shoulders.

"Umi-chan is," Hanayo replied quickly before leaning back to Rin, who responded by leaning more on the Lilim's back.

Umi gasped, words failing to escape her throat for a brief second "A-Am not!"

"Umi-chan stuttered! She _is_ shameless-nya!" Rin declared and pumped her fist in the air before laughing, Hanayo joining her soon after with a soft giggle.

"Rin!" Umi's loud and stern voice silenced both of them, Rin hiding behind Hanayo with a wary look. "Start working already."

Rin nuzzled Hanayo for a moment and stuck out her tongue at Umi before walking to her mixing station. Umi sighed and resumed her cleaning in an attempt to clear her mind.

"Sorry about teasing you, Umi-chan," Hanayo apologized. "It's rare to see you interested in a client, and even more rare to get to tease you," she explained. The giggle made it hard to believe that it was an apology.

Umi took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "I-It's fine, Hanayo." The Lilim made it very hard to stay upset at her, and Umi understood there was no malicious intent behind her playful teasing. "Would you like another drink?"

"Um… I think I'll have a Fringe Weaver."

"Fringe Weaver, coming right up." _One Adelhyde and nine Karmotrine. All aged and mixed._ "Here you go." As Hanayo took it, Umi had to wonder how many of these could she drink. People would usually knock themselves out by their third or fourth Fringe Weaver, but Hanayo had shown levels of alcohol tolerance that she had not seen in anyone before. Seeing her drink with Nozomi again would be interesting if not for the absolute mess they had made in the process. Come to think of it…

"Hanayo, if you don't mind me asking…" Umi paused, only continuing when the Lilim had looked at her, "what's the most you have been drunk?"

"Did Nozomi-chan make you ask me that?" Hanayo tilted her head.

"No, my own curiosity did. And the Fringe Weaver I served you," Umi admitted.

"Well… it might've been a year ago or so? Last November, I think." Hanayo reminisced.

"November? Ah, Rin's birthday. That was also the night we found out who had the weakest alcohol tolerance among us as well," Umi noted. Still, she did not recall seeing Hanayo particularly drunk that night. "Did you drink that much that night?"

"W-Well…" Hanayo brushed her hair to the side and blushed. Had the Fringe Weaver started to affect her? "I-I kept drinking at Rin-chan's apartment after I escorted her home."

"You did?" Umi looked at Rin, who had all of her attention set on her phone. "I didn't figure Rin as someone who insisted on making others drink after a night of doing just that."

"She didn't," Hanayo spoke meekly, her cheeks growing brighter in color. "I-I asked her for drinks that night. I-I needed some more alcohol in me to work up the courage to… t-to…" Hanayo found herself unable to finish her sentence, a mad blush taking over her face.

"To?" Umi repeated, confused.

"T-To… um… n-nothing. I-I don't think I have enough alcohol in me to talk about that night!" Hanayo blabbered out before drinking the rest of her drink in one swift swig. "I-I'm heading over to Rin-chan's!" she said before quickly getting off her seat and walking to the other side of the counter.

Umi had to wonder what had Hanayo done that night to get so flustered that she could not have told her. Maybe she threw up at Rin's apartment? That certainly would have been embarrassing.

The metal door sliding open, Umi looked back at the front entrance. "Welcome to Lily White, how can I- oh. I haven't seen you in a while. Welcome back, Eli."

"Umi, good evening," Eli greeted back as she sat down in front of the bartender. "An assignment had me leave Neo Tokyo for a week. Ended up going from Neo Kyoto to Okinawa III."

"Sounds like a wild goose chase," Umi joked and offered Eli a sympathetic smile.

"Tell me about it. At least the pay was good, although I did have to demand a higher bounty. Managed to catch that defector alive," Eli explained and smiled with a hint of proudness. "Bonus which I plan to invest in a Sunshine Cloud, please."

"Not a long-flight jetpack?" Umi asked as she started to prepare Eli's drink. _Two Adelhyde and two Bronson Extracts, on the rocks and blended._

"That can wait, and I'm still a long way off before I can afford one." Eli shrugged and then, with a small smile on her, pulled out a bag. "I brought you all souvenirs too."

"Oh, you didn't have to-"

"I insist. When would be the last time I passed by Okinawa III-"

"No, really. _You didn't have to_ ," Umi repeated herself coldly and handed Eli her equally cold drink. "Nozomi and Rin have been late almost every single day for two weeks now."

"Oh come on, give them a break." Eli waved her hand once and took a sip of her drink, letting out a pleased sigh after doing so. "I've missed these."

"You spoil them too much," Umi mumbled and crossed her arms. "Keep it up and no one will know you as the cold hearted mercenary you sell yourself as."

"H-Hey!" Eli protested, her cheeks pink with embarrassment. "I-I'm only like this with you guys and my little sister," she mumbled into her glass before taking another sip.

Umi smiled again. "And I appreciate that side of yours. Last thing we would need is having that professional side of yours take over your social one." Only once had she seen that side, when one drunk client got particularly aggressive one night. Never had she seen Eli's piercing cold eyes or the client she spooked out of the bar again.

Eli nodded as she kept chugging down her drink. Nozomi once told her that Eli drank ten Sunshine Clouds in a single night and now she was starting to believe it. Once she had finished it, she wiped her lips clean and looked at Umi with excitement. "Do you want to see your gift?"

"Sure." Umi was not about to decline this girl when she had eyes as excited and expectant as those.

Eli placed the bag she brought with her on her lap and rummaged through it until she took out a book and handed it to Umi.

Umi took the book and glanced it for a moment before looking back at Eli to see if this was a joke. When it was clear it was not one, Umi looked back at the book. " _Impress your friends with over fifty serving hacks and tricks: Spectacle Bartending_ ," Umi read in a monotone voice.

"Don't you like it?"

Umi inspected the book up and down, cover, back cover and spine and read the small blurb on the back cover as well. "Well..." Umi opened the book and flipped through the first few pages.

"I've never seen you perform any tricks when you serve your drinks, so I thought you might wanna learn a few. Might earn you a few more tips, you know?" Eli nodded as she explained her reasoning.

"I don't mean to be rude or unappreciative but…" Umi began, noticing visible worrisome in the mercenary. "I-I know most of these tricks," she confessed as she finished skimming through the book.

"Then why haven't I seen you perform any of them?" Eli tilted her head to the side.

Umi leaned closer to Eli, Eli reciprocating. "Because of her," Umi whispered and pointed at Rin. "If she saw me setting a drink aflame, she'd burn down the whole bar trying to do the same," Umi explained and leaned back.

"You don't have much faith in her, do you?"

"Not for theatrics," Umi answered with a tired voice. "You could give this to her though, I'm sure that with proper instructions and not just monkey see monkey do she'd be able to do it."

"Would you like Rin's souvenir in its place then?" Eli asked, pulling out a small Maneki-neko.

"I'm fine, Eli. You can give both of them to Rin." Umi reassured her with a smile. "How about another drink?"

"Sure, I'll have another Sunshine Cloud. Wanna see what I got for Hanayo?" Eli asked excitedly. Deciding to humor her, Umi nodded, and Eli began to go through the bag again. She pulled out a box two boxes of confectionaries, labeled as ' _Shelf-stable Okinawa III rices cakes_ '. "One for her and one for Nozomi."

"I'm sure they'll like them. They're both a bit gluttonous when it comes to these kind of things," Umi pointed out as she put down Eli's second drink. Eli nodded in agreement and put everything back into her bag before taking the first gulp from her drink. Umi would have had advised her from drinking it so quickly, but the Sunshine Clouds she prepared for Eli were non-alcoholic, so Umi did not bother.

"Eli, I have a question about Hanayo…" Umi glanced to the side. The Lilim seemed too busy chatting with Rin to notice her name being spoken.

Eli put down her drink and wiped her lips clean. "Hm? What is it?"

"Hanayo was about to tell me she needed to be inebriated to do something at Rin's apartment after her birthday party, but she did not seem to want to tell me what happened," Umi explained before she quieted her voice more. "Do you know what happened?"

Eli blinked twice as if dumbfounded, before laughing briefly. Umi frowned, confused by the whole situation.

"You really don't know what happened?" Eli asked with a smile that Umi could only be described as teasing.

"I wouldn't be asking if I knew?" Umi was not sure why Eli would even ask that. The fact that Eli only laughed again only made her wonder why she would not tell her what happened.

"I don't think I'm in the position to tell you about that," Eli explained and finished her drink. "Did I miss anything interesting in my absence?"

While Umi did not appreciate the change of subject too much, she was not going to be rude to not follow the conversation. "Well, we had an idol show up two nights in a row. Then said idol got in a fight with a doctor," Umi retold her last couple of nights as she began to clean Eli's previous glass.

"Idol? Seems like I missed out," Eli commented as she played with her empty glass by spinning it in place.

"She seems intent in coming back, despite the argument she had with that doctor. If the doctor decides to come back too, hopefully it won't happen when the idol is here too." Umi put away the cleaned glass and continued, "and there was this police officer…"

Eli stopped the glass and looked up at Umi. "Was everything alright?"

"Yeah, she just came for a drink. Said she was off duty. She was also… very pleasant."

"Oh? How come?"

"I'm not sure how to explain it. It was like… she irradiated warmth and positivity?" Umi struggled to find the words to describe her once again. "Having her around made the world feel a little bit better, if that makes any sense."

"Ohoho, really?" Eli propped her elbows on the counter and rested her chin on her hands. "Did you get her name?"

"Yeah, it was-"

"Honoka Kousaka, presenting for off duty!" Honoka let everyone know of her presence with her big announcement and somehow finish Umi's answer.

"Is that the one?" Eli chuckled.

"Yes, that's the one," Umi replied curtly. "Welcome back, officer," Umi greeted Honoka once she reached the counter and took the seat next to Eli's.

"Nuh uh, that wasn't our agreement, Umi-chan," Honoka answered disapprovingly and accompanied with a shaking finger.

"Er, welcome back, Honoka," Umi reluctantly repeated, to Honoka's rejoice.

"Told you I'd be back. A good officer always keeps her word!" Honoka said triumphantly.

"What about the bad officers?" Eli's question quickly deflated Honoka's pose.

"Well… uh…"

"At ease, officer," Eli gave Honoka a smile before offering her her hand. "I'm Eli, a friend of Umi's."

Honoka laughed briefly and smiled back at Eli. "Name's Honoka. And officer's only when I'm on duty," she explained as she shook Eli's hand. "Prosthetic? What happened to your arm?" Honoka asked curiously, taking a closer look at it.

"Well, nothing in particular, really. It's just more convenient to have a mechanical one in my line of work," Eli explained as she let Honoka inspect her hand, figuring it was simple curiosity.

"And what's your job?" Honoka asked interestedly, bringing the hand closer to her face and slowly inspecting it with her thumb.

"She's a mercenary for hire," Umi answered for her friend.

"And what's a bounty hunter doing with Class 5 and 6 barrels at her fingertips?" Honoka asked, tightening her grip on the robotic hand.

"I-I have the permits," Eli explained as she tried to pull back her arm to no avail. "I don't have them with me right now, officer."

"Oh, really?" Honoka squinted her eyes at the nodding Eli before finally letting go. "Well, I'm off duty anyways. You might wanna carry the digital certifications with you if you don't want some other officer taking your arm away though. And call me Honoka!" She finished with a gleeful smile.

Eli smiled back and nodded. "Okay, Honoka. Would you like a drink? It'll be on me, as thanks for the advice."

"Really? Sure!" Honoka nodded. "I'll have whatever you have then."

"Two Sunshine Clouds then?" Umi asked, Eli nodding in return. After blending the mix, Umi poured it on two different glasses and handed them over.

"Thanks." Eli smiled and was quick to take a long sip. Taking notice of what she was doing, Honoka did the same and sipped as long as Eli did. Umi sighed as both of them finished their drinks at around the same time in a single swig, the officer only taking a few more seconds. "Not bad, Honoka. Did you like it?"

Honoka tapped her chin in thought for a few moments before shaking her hand from side to side. "It was so-so, I guess," Honoka commented and shrugged, much to Eli's dismay. "Here, let me treat you to a real drink!"

"N-No, it's fine, Honoka-"

"I insist! It's the fair thing to do. Umi-chan!" Honoka signaled at the bartender, despite the fact that Umi was already looking at them. "Two big Beers!"

Eli's pleads went unnoticed and shooting Eli an apologetic look, Umi began to prepare the drinks. Eli sighed dejectedly as Umi poured the two Beers into their large glass mugs. "T-Thanks, Honoka…" Eli tried to smile as she stared nervously at her drink.

"Don't sweat it, Eli-chan!" Honoka grinned and patted Eli in the back before chugging her Beer.

Eli's eyes went back and forth between her own Beer and Honoka, and with a deep breath, she took the beer and started chugging on it too. The mercenary's face gradually became redder with each gulp, and she only set down her drink once Honoka did so too, at which point Honoka's was almost empty and Eli had downed about half of hers.

"Whoa, you're redder than a traffic light, Eli-chan. You alright?" Honoka asked. Umi sighed once again when Eli tried to take another sip but defeatedly put down her glass. "This isn't a competition you know?"

"B-But…" Eli mumbled quietly. Honoka leaned closer to hear her better but was taken aback when Eli suddenly stifled a sob. "Y-You made it look fun and then you bought me a drink and it would've been rude to say no!"

"Whoa, she's full on crying." Honoka rubbed Eli's shoulder in an attempt to cheer her up.

"No, she's not," Umi quickly pointed out.

"A-And then Umi said she didn't want my gift! She thinks it's useless!" Eli pressed her face on Honoka's shoulder and hugged her before starting to bawl out more tears and getting Honoka's shoulder wet.

"Now she is."

"Umi-chan! How could you do that!" Honoka protested as she hugged Eli back. "There there Eli-chan, Umi-chan's just a big meanie," she spoke softly and rubbed her back.

Umi rolled her eyes and shook her head. This was why Umi never added the optional Karmotrine in all of those Sunshine Clouds. Eli had always been her client who got drunk the fastest until last night, when that doctor showed up.

"Fine, Eli. I'll take the book. I lied, I know _some_ of the tricks in that book, not all of them," Umi admitted. She still considered that Rin would get more out of said book, but she did not want to deal with Eli's drunk crying.

Eli sniffed and let go of Honoka to wipe her tears away. "R-Really?" She asked meekly.

"Yes, really. I'll perform one of the tricks for you sometime too." Umi's promise seemed to finally cheer her up as Eli gave her a small smile.

"Can you do one now?" Eli asked, getting Honoka interested too.

"Yeah yeah! Do one!" The officer nodded in agreement.

"R-Right now? I don't know if I can…" Umi trailed off once she saw tears well up in Eli's eyes again. "Okay, fine. Just one, okay?" Once Eli nodded excitedly (and Honoka too), Umi crouched down and reached out for a novelty item she had not used in years: a Moai statue head shaped glass. Both Eli and Honoka seemed impressed already by the novelty glass.

 _Flaming Moai. One Adelhyde, one Bronson Extract, two Powdered Delta, three Flanergide and five Karmotrine. All mixed._ Umi never understood why the BTC decided to keep this drink as part of some 'secret menu', as it was the only drink not included in standard BTC recipe books. If one were to ask Umi, it was not even that great of a drink. Mixing the drink once the fourth Karmotrine was added, Umi poured the mix into the glass and carefully added the last part of the alcohol on top of the mix. Opening one of her drawers, she pulled out a long lighter and put its end right above the mix.

"Stay back, unless you want your eyebrows burnt," Umi warned her clients, and with a trigger of the lighter a flame bursted out of the drink, getting ' _Oohs_ ' from both of her impressed clients. Before either of them could reach out for the drink, Umi hit a metal spoon on the counter, getting their attention. "Let it burn for a few more seconds, the fire will change the spiciness of the Flanergide into sourness," Umi explained.

"Can I blow on it?" Honoka asked after a few moments passed by. With Umi's approval, blew out the fire on the drink.

"I-I wanted to do that!" Eli slammed her hands on the counter, making both Umi and Honoka jump in surprise, and before either of them knew what happened Eli started crying again.

"E-Eli-chan! I'm sorry!" Honoka's apologies fell to deaf ears and Eli kept crying her eyes out.

Tired with Eli's drunkenness, Umi sighed and raised her voice to a yell. "Nozomi! Eli's drunk again!"

"Comin'!" Nozomi's faint voice came from the back of the bar. The owner of Lily White soon came out of her office and smiled at the sight of Eli crying. "Thanks Umi-chan, I'll handle it from here. Sorry about the trouble," she apologized both to the bartender and her client. "Come on, Elicchi," Nozomi whispered once she got to Eli's side. "Don't ya wanna have some chocolate puddin'?"

Eli shook her head and sobbed once more.

"What about havin' a call with your sister? I'm sure Alisa would love to see your face!" Nozomi's second offer earned her a small nod and with Nozomi's tug and guidance Eli got off her stool and followed Nozomi back to her office.

Once gone, Umi let out a long and alleviated sigh.

"S-Sorry for getting her drunk…" Honoka apologized and looked down at the bar floor.

"Don't worry about it," Umi mumbled as she took Eli's empty glass and began to wash it. Once Umi noticed that her flashy drink went untouched, Umi looked up to see a still bummed out Honoka. "Hey, Honoka." Honoka slowly looked up, and once they made eye contact, Umi offered her a smile. "It really was nothing, this always happens with Eli."

"I-If you say so…" Honoka mumbled as she poked the novelty glass.

"Don't let your beautiful face get ruined with a frown, Honoka. You brighten up this bar whenever you smile," Umi said as she finished wiping her glass clean and set it aside.

"R-Really? Oh, um, wow." Honoka laughed nervously and scratched the back of her head. The officer was not sure if the heat in her cheeks was the alcohol or something else. "T-Thanks, I guess."

"Your next drink will be on me if you finally decide to cheer up," Umi offered with a smile.

Honoka perked up and nodded with excitement. "You got a deal, Umi-chan!" She grinned and brought the Flaming Moai closer. Unsure where to hold it from, Honoka decided to just grab it from the bottom with both hands and chugged down the drink from where she could drink it the most comfortably.

"So? How is it?" Umi asked curiously. She had not made one in years and could not help but to wonder if she got it right.

Honoka put down the glass and pushed it towards Umi still half full. "Not really my style, but it was alright! You made it, Umi-chan, so of course it was great."

"C-Compliments won't get you any free drinks, Honoka." Umi crossed her arms.

"But my smile will apparently! And I want…" Honoka tapped her chin, thinking about her next order.

"A Beer?" Umi assumed as she began to prepare it.

"A Piano Woman!" Honoka nodded before turning to Umi. "Yeah, one of those please."

"Not a Beer?" Umi asked as she resetted her mixing station and began to prepare the new drink. _Five Adelhyde, five Bronson Extract, two Powdered Delta, three Flanergide and three Karmotrine. All mixed and aged._

"Well, you said I could get whatever I wanted, so I got the most expensive one," Honoka explained and swayed side to side like an excited child. "Never had one of these before either, so there's that too."

"Bigger price tag doesn't always mean better taste," Umi pointed out as she poured the light blue drink onto its glass and handed it over.

"Even better of a moneysaver if that's the case then." Honoka smiled before taking a cautious sip.

"Well? How is it?"

"Well…" Honoka let the aftertaste settle before giving Umi another smile. "It kinda reminds me of this bar!"

"Of this bar?" Umi repeated for clarification.

"Yup! It's pretty sweet, and it makes me happy being here. I don't have to worry about getting shot in broad daylight!"

Honoka's explanation put Umi on a short and topsy turvy roller coaster of proudness to worries. "O-Oh…" was all Umi managed to say.

"And I get to hang out with a handsome bartender! What's there not to be happy about?" Honoka giggled as she took another sip.

"Well, that part of getting shot sounded dreadful," Umi pointed out.

Honoka paused for a moment and then laughed. "Umi-chan! You're looking at your glass half empty. Life's always a cup half full of things to be joyous about!" Honoka exclaimed and raised her drink.

Honoka's lack of concern unsettled Umi. Was she not supposed to be a police officer?

"Like this Piano Woman right here. Rather than bumming out about almost having finished it, I'm just happy I got it for free," Honoka finished explaining and drank the rest of it.

"I… suppose that's a refreshing way of looking at things." Umi had to admit that it was difficult to stay upset at such optimism. Honoka's bright outlook towards life was a rarity nowadays, and one that should probably be protected under international law.

"And if things don't pan out…" Honoka sighed and put down her drink, staring at it for a brief moment. "You just gotta hold out until they do."

"... Honoka?" Honoka's quick shift in demeanor confused Umi. She leaned a bit closer in an attempt to get a closer look at her expression.

Needless to say, Umi was startled when Honoka suddenly lifted both of her arms and groaned. "I just want a promotion!" She complained out loud before slumping on the counter. "Six years in the force and I'm still a traffic control officer," Honoka groaned. "All 'cuz I don't want to join the others to extort money from some local businesses. Can I get another Beer?"

"One Beer, coming right… up…" Umi nodded and began to prepare Honoka's next order, albeit somewhat uncomfortably. Umi had heard of extortion from the NTPP before, but how far did that kind of corruption run in the force for Honoka not get any kind of promotion in _six_ years? "E-Extortion money?" Umi asked as she put the Beer in front of Honoka's face.

Honoka sat up and sighed before taking a long sip from her drink. _Huh, not a chug._

"Yeaaah, I'm not supposed to talk about it," Honoka mumbled and propped her cheek on her hand. "NTPP's been doing all sorts of shady stuff for years now, even before I joined it. Extortion money, planting evidence, heck, even money laundering for the commissioner and the mayor," Honoka explained and sighed. "Kinda sucks the magic out of the being the good guy, y'know?"

"Why did you decide to become a police officer then?" Umi felt compelled to ask.

"It's kinda dumb and embarrassing, but if you wanna know, I'll tell you." Honoka chuckled awkwardly and thumbed her glass as she spoke. "I grew up watching cartoons and movies where the good guys always beat the bad guys and saved the day. I wanted to be like that too! Bust some evil doers and save the innocent!" Honoka smiled nostalgically before taking a chug from her Beer. "Kinda gets your hopes and dreams crushed when on day one out of the academy you're asked to join some senior officers to thrash a local salon because they didn't pay their ' _protection money_ '. As far as I know, we're supposed to be the ones protecting them from people who do that kind of stuff." Honoka sighed and began to chug her drink.

"Honoka, I-"

"But that's why I have to strive to be better!" Honoka raised her mug in the air enthusiastically. "Get people to trust the force, not fear it! Be a role model for children and an example for my coworkers!" Honoka grinned and made a 'V' sign with her fingers to Umi. "And I still get my bonuses each month! See, Umi-chan? The glass is always half full!"

Umi chuckled and smiled. "Yes, I suppose it is."

Honoka's smile did make everything in Umi's life appear half full.


	4. Piano Woman

_"It was originally called Pretty Woman, but too many people complained there should be a Piano Woman if there was a Piano Man."_

* * *

"You left home in a pretty good mood last night, didn't ya?" Nozomi commented off handedly as she scrolled through her phone. "Give me a Crevice Spike, put three Karmotrines in it."

"Did I?" Umi asked as she readied her ingredients. _Two Powdered Delta, four Flanergide and three Karmotrine. All blended_. Did something particularly happen yesterday? Umi could not recall anything of the sort, yesterday had simply been another normal bartending day. The tips had not even that much, but that was a given with their low clientele; to this day, Umi still had no idea how Nozomi managed to keep Lily White open with such low sales.

To no one's surprise, no client had shown up to the bar so far. Umi glanced at the clock hung on one of the walls: almost an hour had passed since they opened tonight. After the first thirty minutes had passed, Nozomi had come out of her office to join Umi for a drink. "Here you go." Umi handed the green cocktail once it was done.

"Looks like it'll be a slow night." Umi sighed as she mindlessly wiped a glass. She did not curse the lack of clients, but Umi could not help but to think about the bills that were coming around the corner. She needed to pay rent and electricity, she would need to go do grocery shopping soon too, not to mention-

"You're makin' an awful lot of faces, Umi-chan," Nozomi said softly and gave her employee a smile before taking a sip of her drink. "Keep it up and you're gonna get wrinkles all over. Whatcha thinkin' about?"

"The thing I always worry about every month, Nozomi." Umi regretted her poor choice of words when she saw her boss grin like _that_.

"Oh, _that_ time of the month?" Nozomi asked with a sly smirk before giggling to herself. "Cramps?"

"No, Nozomi," Umi replied curtly and closed her eyes, not wanting to see Nozomi's face. "I need to make several payments soon."

"Umi-chan, I'm pretty sure that you manage your money the best out of all three of us," Nozomi pointed out and patted Umi's shoulder. "Pretty sure you're the one who has the most money saved up too."

"Still, it's money I'd rather not spend. What if-"

"What if your apartment explodes? Yeah yeah, I know it's yer contingency money." Nozomi chuckled and drank the rest of her Crevice Spike in a single sip. "You worry too much."

What was so wrong about being prepared? Umi frowned, still not getting why Nozomi would not let her worry.

"So, what had you in such high spirits last night?" Nozomi asked as she handed the empty glass to her employee. "Certainly weren't the tips, were they? Now, give me a _biiiiig_ Bad Touch, please," she requested with a sultry voice.

"No, it wasn't the tips." Umi shook her head, disapproving of Nozomi's childish joke. If only Umi received as many tips as she heard that joke, she would not have to worry about any payments. A big Bad Touch - _four Bronson Extract, four Powdered Delta, four Flanergide, eight Karmotrine. All on the rocks and mixed._ "I'm not sure what it was, are you sure you're not remembering wrong?" Umi proposed as she handed the green cocktail to her employer.

"No, no, I have Rin to back me up on this one. You _never_ smile so much," Nozomi said in an accusing voice before sipping on her drink with a frown, at least Rin had the courtesy to laugh at her jokes. "I watched the security footage _and_ I did card reading. I'm certain of what exactly happened to you."

"And what is it that you think happened to me?" Umi decided to humor Nozomi. She would not admit that a tiny part of her was curious, though.

"The cards, but mostly the footage, showed me that it was a client!" If Nozomi was a client, Umi would have certainly asked her to tone down her voice already. "They showed me that that police officer was the cause!"

"Honoka was?" Umi raised an eyebrow, unsure she had heard her correctly. What did she have to do with this?

"So, Honoka's her name. That's good to know." Nozomi nodded to herself before drinking. _Had all that act been simply to find out Honoka's name?_ "I saw you smiling almost all the time you had her in front of you. A pretty darn good-lookin' smile if I do say so myself."

"Well, she's good company and a good person. Not something I can say about most people," Umi explained, still wondering why Nozomi was making such a big deal out of this.

"Somethin' tells me there's more to it than this Honoka-chan being a nice fellow," Nozomi commented before finishing her drink. "Tell me, Umi-chan. How's this Honoka?"

 _How was Honoka?_ "Well… she's…" Umi collected her thoughts for a moment before continuing, "She's loud. And pushy, impulsive, childish, not fit to be a police officer at all," she sounded almost like a disapproving mother until Umi pushed one of her hairbangs behind her ear and smiled. "But she's also radiates with positivity. A reminder of putting your ideals in front of you, that not everything in life is so bleak, no matter how badly some people want it to seem that way. It's hard not to think like that when she's in front of you, having a Beer and telling you some awful joke or complaining about her job with such a bright smile."

Nozomi breathed out and smiled warmly, having obtained the proof she was looking for.

"A-Anyways, I'm sure you'll meet her soon enough. She seems keen on revisiting Lily White," Umi finished.

"I'm sure she'll be as lovely as you make her sound to be," Nozomi commented. For some reason, _lovely_ stuck in Umi's mind for a moment, before getting brought back to reality by Rin's loudness.

"Umi-chan! I want a Pile Driver-nya!" Rin had gotten from her mixing station to the seat next to Nozomi's, completely leaning on her boss's side with a grin.

"Rin, go back to your station-"

"I wanna drink with Nozomi-chan too, it's not fair!" Rin demanded before digging her hands on her seat.

"I'm not drinking with-"

"Let her, Umi-chan! Where's the harm in letting her drink with us?" Nozomi smiled and got hugged by Rin.

"Yay! Nozomi-chan's the best!" Rin exclaimed before cuddling her. "Pile Driver, Pile Driver!"

"Oh, and I want a Mercuryblast, please~"

"Fine," Umi groaned before starting to prepare their drinks. _Pile Driver, three Bronson Extract, three Flanergide, and four Karmotrine. All mixed. Mercuryblast, one Adelhyde, one Bronson Extract, three-_

"And get yourself a drink too, Umi-chan," Nozomi added. "We haven't drank together in a while."

Umi looked at Nozomi for a brief moment before continuing to prepare their drinks. Umi supposed she was right, last time they drank together was... what, Nozomi's birthday? That had been a few months ago. When even was the last time Umi prepared a drink for herself? More questions began to flood Umi's head as she served her coworker and boss their drinks and starting to prepare her own. _Six Adelhyde, three Powdered Delta and one Karmotrine. All aged and mixed._

"Umi-chan's making herself a Brandtini!" Rin pointed out as her fellow bartender mixed her drink and poured it into its glass.

"How smug," Nozomi whispered to Rin before both giggled. Umi squinted her eyes at them, to little effect. "Thanks, Umi-chan."

"For?"

"For not leaving us after the week after opening the bar." Nozomi grinned.

"I'm surprised she didn't leave us after the first day!"

Umi rolled her eyes and smiled. "And leave you two unsupervised? Not in a hundred years. The BTC would've shut down Lily White for being a fire hazard," Umi joked, earning a laugh out of her two friends, herself joining in it too.

Nozomi let out a pleased sigh as she stared fondly at her drink. Raising her glass, Nozomi gave Umi a smile. "To Umi-chan."

"To Umi-chan, nya!" Rin repeated, also raising her own drink.

Umi smiled; perhaps Nozomi was right. With friends like these, she should not be worrying too much. "To Lily White."

It was not until another twenty minutes or so had passed before the doors of L1-L1 WH80 to slide open to its first client of the night. Nozomi had long returned to her office and Rin was once more in her mixing station and scrolling through her phone.

"Hello? Is this Lily White?" A voice asked curiously.

"Yes, this is Lily White. Welcome." Umi looked up and found herself fixated on the girl who had sat in front of her. More specifically, her odd hairstyle.

"Umi?" She called out warily.

"Y-Yes!" Umi was brought back from her stupor. Wait, why did she know her name? "Do I know you, miss…?"

"Kotori. And nope! We've just met," Kotori introduced herself.

"Why do you know my name then?" Umi tried not to frown out of suspicion.

"A friend recommended this place to me," Kotori explained as she began to look around the bar.

"Well, Kotori. Can I get you something to drink?"

"Yes, a Sparkle Star, please."

"Can I ask who recommended you this place?" Umi pondered as she began to prepare her drink. _Two Adelhyde and one Powdered Delta with optional Karmotrine._ Two should be a good start. _All aged and mixed._

"An old friend, very dear to me," Kotori answered with a smile and lit up more once Umi handed her her drink. A friend? Well, Umi supposed it could be anyone.

The particular _dink_ sound that Kotori's hand made against her glass made Umi realized that one of Kotori's arms had been replaced with a robotic prosthetic. "What's your line of work?"

"Hm? Oh, I design and sew clothes," Kotori said and took a sip of her drink. Her face told Umi that the drink had been to her liking.

"Does sewing clothes require a robotic arm?" Umi asked curiously. She really did not know anything about making clothes.

"Oh, this?" Kotori put down her drink and rolled up her sleeve, showing that the prosthetic went almost up to her elbow. "No, but it certainly helps!" Kotori smiled as her fingertips opened and showed several sewing tools, such as small scissors, needles and threads.

"Is a taser also part of your sewing tools?" Umi asked, pointing out the cackling electric prod in the pinky finger.

"A-Ah!" Kotori quickly retracted her fingertips and covered her hand. "N-No… um... yes?" She said with a nervous laugh. "M-My friend provided me with that… for self-defense only!"

"Well, I'd make sure that that taser stays put. The bar's secure enough and a friend almost got in trouble for her own modded arm," Umi explained.

"I-I see…" Kotori awkwardly laughed as she protectively held her hand.

"Nothing is happening to you, I promise," Umi tried to reassure her. It took a few moments for Kotori to calm down and continue drinking.

"Can you really make a living out of sewing clothes?" Umi's curiosity got the best of her, sewing always seemed more of a hobby than an occupation. It seemed like such an old-fashioned job, and from what the dojo had taught her, Neo Tokyo had been leaving behind such professions.

"Well, it helps a lot that what I make is considered as designer's clothing," Kotori explained as she began to rummage through her bag, pulling out a magazine and showing it to Umi. The cover had an actress wearing a dress that had a slit too high for her own good. Had Umi been handed a porn magazine? Was she holding a _physical_ porn magazine? "I also take commissions from a lot of people, like actors and singers," Kotori added, unaware of Umi's dismay.

Umi began to feel the heat skyrocket in her cheeks and she quickly handed the magazine back to Kotori. "T-That dress is inappropriate! Don't you have any shame?! A-And on physical paper too!"

"S-Shame?" Kotori was confused as she looked at the cover in confusion. "I'm pretty proud of this one, especially the slit…"

"The slit is way too high!" Umi stammered and pointed at the magazine. "Her legs are practically naked!"

"Who's naked?!" Honoka's voice rang from the entrance of the bar. Her demeanor would have looked like one of a serious cop who had just heard of a crime if it had not been by the excitement in her voice of finding someone _naked_.

"Honoka, welcome-"

"Honoka-chan!" Kotori called with relief as she turned around. "I thought you weren't going to come, you're so late!"

"Sorry Kotori-chan, I got caught up with some paperwork," Honoka explained and laughed sheepishly as she took the seat next to Kotori.

"You two know each other?" Umi's question was answered with a quick nod from both parties.

"Yup! Honoka-chan's the one who recommended me this place," Kotori said as she smiled gladly at Honoka.

"Kotori-chan and I go waaay back, we've been friends since like elementary school," Honoka added and smiled back at Kotori.

"Kindergarten, actually." Kotori was quick to correct her friend.

"It's good to see such a long-lasting friendship," Umi commented, making Honoka grin.

"Before coming here I used to unwind a lot with her. Kotori-chan's like my personal psychologist," Honoka commented.

"Except she's never paid a single session. And now Honoka-chan's going to repay all she owes me through drinks!" Kotori cheered.

"W-What?! We never agreed to that!" Honoka frantically shook her head and began to make calculations with her fingers. "I think I can only afford two drinks for each of us… or maybe three?" Honoka grumbled as she thought of expenses and her savings.

Kotori giggled before leaning to the side and resting her head on Honoka's shoulder. "I'm joking, Honoka-chan. Going out with you is payment enough."

Wait, _going out?_ Honoka had never mentioned having a relationship, although she never had a reason to bring one up. Then again, it could be simply going out as in going out with a friend not as a girlfrie-

"Umi-chan, everything okay? You're making a weird face," Honoka's question derailed her train of thought, and Umi simply nodded.

"Y-Yes, I'm fine. Can I get you something?" Now was not the time to get distracted. Now it was time to mix and serve drinks, Umi had to remind herself.

"The usual, please!"

"And I'll have Cobalt Velvet," Kotori added as she scooted her empty glass closer to Umi.

A Beer and a… what did the other one say? Cobalt Velvet, right. Beer should be a big one. A Cobalt Velvet was… when was the last time she even made one? _Two Adelhyde, three Flanergide and four Karmotrin-,_ no, wait, _five Karmotrine._ _Mixed and on the rocks._ Why was Umi so distracted tonight? If it was not for the fact that she had two clients in front of her, she would have hit her forehead on the mixing station to clear her mind. The drinks had come out perfectly, at least Umi could rest assured that her mixing skills were not being hampered by her thoughts.

"A large Beer and a Cobalt Velvet," Umi said as she placed the drinks on the counter.

"I can certainly see why Honoka-chan likes this place," Kotori commented after taking a sip of her cyan mix. After getting curious looks from both girls, she continued. "The drinks are good, the music is pleasant and the bartender's handsome!"

"H-Handsome?!" Umi repeated, her hands covering her mouth to silence it a moment too late; at least they did good to hide the hint of red on her cheeks.

"Yup! Used Honoka-chan's exact words," Kotori's giggled, now having two girls blushing and certainly not because of the alcohol.

"K-Kotori!" Honoka shook her friend from the side, pausing for a moment to glance at Umi and smiling awkwardly at her before shaking Kotori again. "You said you wouldn't say anything! N-Not that I don't think you're not handsome-! Er… I mean, g-good looking? Uh… I-I mean, you _are_ good looking!"

"I-It's fine, Honoka." Umi's attempt to calm down her client did little good when she tripped on her own words just as much. It was not like it was the first time she had gotten hit on while bartending, but knowing it came from Honoka somehow made it different. Most of the time people did so, they were drunk and trying to get her into a bed, but not only was Honoka very clearly _not_ drunk but she had been one of the most honest people she had ever met.

"A-And it was all true! I mean, about the drinks! You serve the best ones!" Honoka pointed at her mug of Beer before taking several large chugs out of it. After putting down her drink, Honoka let out a long breath, seemingly having calmed down. "Man, why did you have to say all of that…" Honoka mumbled.

Honoka's comment went unheard by her friend, who instead gasped when she looked to the other side of the counter. "A Lilim and a Cat Boomer!" she whispered with excitement.

"That's the other bartender, Rin. And Hanayo," Umi's introduction of the two was all the encouragement for Kotori to pick up her drink and change seats to the one next to the Lilim. "Shouldn't she be here with you?" Umi asked, perplexed to see Kotori much more interested in talking with Rin and Hanayo than being with her friend. Much to Umi's surprise, Honoka was not even phased by it.

"Kotori-chan doesn't get to spend much time with Cat Boomers or Lilim, and she's always wanted to design clothes specifically for them," Honoka explained as she looked at her friend introduce herself with excitement to the other two people in the bar.

"Well, Hanayo is very friendly and Rin is very approachable. I'm sure she'll have a lovely time." Before Umi realized it, that word was there again in her mind. Umi did her best to suppress the frown that she felt coming to her lips, she had never been this distracted on the job before. Surely this was all Nozomi's fault, somehow.

"Well, I'd say we're having a lovely time too!" There was that word again, but Umi would not be let to sit on her thoughts too long. "But… you seem pretty out of it tonight. Am I… bothering you?" Honoka asked, her voice having grown uncharacteristically meek.

"Bothering me? Not at all, if anything your presence is a soothing one." Umi would had never spouted such things without a second thought, but having heard Honoka so unsure about herself for the first time made her react impulsively. "I-I've been… somewhat distracted all day, forgive me."

"Oh, I get it." Honoka crossed her arms and nodded. "It's that time of the month, it sucks when you have to deal with that on the job-"

"I-It is _not_ that!" Umi retorted but quickly quieted down when she noticed she garnered the attention from the others for a moment. "A-Anyways, it's most definitely not _that_ , Honoka. I've just been… thinking about a certain something. A someone, to be more precise."

"O-Oh, a someone you say!" Honoka laughed nervously before quickly starting to chug on the rest of her Beer.

"Yes, you," Umi added without even thinking. It was when Honoka choked on her drink that Umi realized what she had said so casually, and hands would not suffice this time to cover her blush. Honoka's violent coughing was the only thing that managed to uncover Umi's face, her embarrassment turning into worry. "A-Are you okay, Honoka?" Honoka kept coughing, having a tough time dealing with the fizzy drink where it should not have gone through. After not getting an answer, Umi started patting Honoka on the back, alleviating her coughing a little.

"Aw, geez… Umi-chan, y-you have an awful timing to say weird things," Honoka joked, still coughing but at a much more manageable intensity.

"W-Was it… _that_ weird?" Umi braved her question, admitting that Honoka's small joke pulled something inside of her, not something particularly good.

"I-I mean… not that weird? It was… surprising?" Honoka was at a loss for words, her face red from both embarrassment and choking not a minute ago.

"Well, I apologize for making such a comment," Umi said, ashamed of herself and for making Honoka spit-take on her drink. "I-I certainly apologize for saying such a… _weird_ thing." Umi only felt conflicted when she had to repeat Honoka's words, feeling as if something stabbed her insides.

"I-I mean, it wasn't that weird!" Honoka shook her head and quickly went back on what she had said. "I've been thinking a lot about you too, and that'd make me weird!"

"Honoka, you're the weirdest person I've ever met in my entire life." Honoka's genuine concern and outlandish train of thought made it hard to simply be embarrassed about this whole situation.

"W-Weird good?" Honoka asked cautiously.

Umi chuckled and nodded. "Weird good." Honoka let out a relieved sigh while sinking on her seat. "Can I get you something else?"

"Huh? Oh right, I was here for some uh… drinks," Honoka reminded herself and sat right back up "Uh… can I get a happy-like drink? Like, a sweet one, maybe?"

A happy and sweet drink. A good choice for Honoka would be a Pretty Woman- er, Piano Woman. That was _five Adelhyde, five Bronson Extract, two Powdered Delta, three Flanergide and three Karmotrine. All mixed and aged._ Once done, Umi placed the almost-white blueish drink on the counter.

"Man, this sure looks like it fits its price," Honoka chuckled as she carefully picked up her glass and inspected its odd shape before taking her first sip. "I shouldn't be buying these expensive drinks if I ever plan on opening that bakery someday," she sighed before drinking once more.

"You're opening a bakery?"

Honoka nodded. "Well, I want to. I know I said all that stuff about being a good cop but… it kinda lost its charm a while ago. Wouldn't it be nice if I got to do something I both enjoyed and wouldn't kill me?" Honoka laughed but Umi could not help but to worry every time she joked about her well being.

"I do suppose that sounds nice," Umi agreed. She even had the luxury to say that that was what she was doing right now, albeit not with the kind of income that would make it a dream come true. Her writing never took off, so Umi had to count herself as lucky that he other hobby paid off.

"Getting to smell the sweet aroma of freshly baked goods, and getting that same smell to other people who pass by and decide to enter. That'd be the dream." Honoka sighed contently as she played with her half-full glass.

"Why don't you prioritize it then?" Umi asked curiously. It was the first time she had heard Honoka mentioning a bakery.

"Well, for starters the life insurance I get is preeetty good. Who knew that putting your life at risk would put a pretty penny in my pocket." Yeah, if you _died_. "And secondly, I kinda can't afford going jobless. My savings alone won't put food on my table and a roof over my head for long, and they certainly won't be able to open a bakery." Honoka sighed and took another sip of her Piano Woman. "But I know I'll get there, one step at a time!"

"A half-full cup?" Umi asked with a smile. Honoka simply grinned and nodded.

"And if I don't ever get to open a bakery, retiring from the force and going back to the family business sounds nice," Honoka continued as she looked at her drink with nostalgie in her eyes. "My family's been running a small convenience store for years. People say that the great location of the store is what has kept it open, but I think that just being nice to the customers is what's kept it afloat." Well, there was the relief that Honoka at least had a backup plan. Umi would be lying if she was not hoping for her to open that bakery though. "And a convenience store is probably not too different from a bakery, right? Sure, I don't get to _make_ the bread, but I'd still be selling it!"

Umi did her best to stifle her laughter, but even her best was not enough to contain a giggle for too long, which quickly turned into laughter. Honoka seemed taken back at first, even a little offended, but she laughed also in the end.

"Always a half-full cup," Umi managed to say after calming down.

"Yup! Well, not this one." Honoka playfully stuck out her tongue a little as she pointed at her now empty glass. "Can I get another Beer?" Honoka asked with a warm and lovely smile.

 _Lovely_. That word had been bothering Umi all throughout the night and had just now returned to torment her mind even more. And it was always related to the police officer she was preparing a Beer for. A client who had just been here three times and already had an usual. One that had somehow become the highlight of her work night, and also seemed to be the only thing she thought about.

Umi felt her heart skip a beat when Honoka's hand grazed her own as she handed her her drink. Umi also felt her heart drop into her stomach when she figured out exactly why that word had been bothering her all night.

As shameless as it was, Umi had come to realize that the root of her distractions tonight was also the root of the word she had been associating with Honoka.

 _Love._


	5. Beer

_"Traditionally brewed beer has become a luxury, but this one's pretty close to the real deal..."_

* * *

"Umi-chan, you've been starin' at the counter for a whole minute now. If you just wanted my company that badly, you could've just asked."

"S-Sorry." Had it really been that long? Umi had asked Nozomi for a word as they finished opening the bar tonight, but now words failed to come out of her mouth. Where did she even start? Umi did not know about relationships, crushes or anything at all regarding _love_. Just thinking of the word made her heart run at a marathon pace and her cheeks turn red like Adelhyde.

"Clearly we're not getting anywhere if you can't focus, so concentrate and gimme a Mercuryblast," Nozomi said as she swiped her card for the transaction.

"Right, Mercuryblast." Nozomi was right, her train of thought was somehow going through several different rails at neck-breaking speeds. A Mercuryblast, _one Adelhyde, one Bronson Extract, three Powdered Delta, three Flanergide and two Karmotrine. All on the rocks and blended._ Umi stared at the blue mix as she poured it into its glass. Hadn't Honoka ordered one of these? She even tried to make a dumb joke about it too. The blue also kind of reminded her of Honoka's eyes, but the color was not quite right, it should be a deeper tone. Why was Umi suddenly so aware of this drink? And not to mention that-

" _Umi._ " Nozomi's voice snapped Umi out of her thoughts and handed the drink to her boss. "So, what did you want to talk about?" Nozomi asked as she swayed her drink in a circular motion.

"I-I figured that you might have… more experience about this sort of topic," Umi started and, to keep her hands from trembling, grabbed the first glass her hands found and started to clean it, the cloth wiping it faster with each stroke.

In other circumstances, Nozomi would have poked fun at the fact that Umi had ran out of dirty glasses and was simply occupying her hands out of anxiety. Instead, she put down her drink and listened intently.

"And even if you don't have that much experience on it, even a little bit would be sufficient. I-I myself have not experienced it before, and I consider you a good friend and someone I can talk about this. N-Not like Rin isn't a good friend either! But… this requires a bit more subtlety and I'd rather not have her talk about this to every client she serves and…"

Nozomi simply listened, and she considered a pretty good listener at that, but Umi had started rambling and dodging whatever she wanted to talk about. "Umi," she called out for the second time.

Hearing her name again almost made her jump. "D-Did I start ramble?"

"Are you gonna have sex? Is this what this is about?"

If the glasses provided by the BTC had not been made as sturdy as they were, Umi's grip would have certainly cracked and broken the glass she had been wiping right in her hands. "N-No!" Umi yelled, startling both Nozomi and Rin, who was standing on the other side of the bar. "It's _not_ about sex!"

"Well, what's got you so worked up then?"

"It's Honoka-!" The words slipped out of her mouth before she could catch them. Instead of being met with a smug and playful grin from Nozomi followed by a teaseful joke, Umi found a gentle smile on Nozomi's smile.

"Honoka, huh? So you finally put the pieces together?"

"T-The pieces? What are you talking about?" Umi put down the glass, knowing that it would eventually crack if she kept it in her hands.

"That you like her."

Umi managed to keep her mouth shut and only made a muffled scream that was tame enough to not make Rin think that someone was getting murdered inside the bar. Thinking about it made her cheeks red, but hearing it from Nozomi heated up her entire face. "Y-Y-Yes, that… was I wanted to talk about."

"So, what're you planning to do?" Nozomi asked as she gently poked her drink.

"W-What do you mean what am I planning to do? I _don't_ know what I'm supposed to do!" Umi was starting to regret asking Nozomi for help. Was she not supposed to be wise, or at least a little bit knowledgeable about these kind of things? "I'm at a loss," Umi said defeatedly.

"Well, do you wanna go out with her?"

"W-Well…" Umi blushed at the fact that now she was imagining Honoka, walking with her hand in hand. Embarrassment turned into a smile when she pictured Honoka smiling. "Y-Yes, I would."

"Then just tell her," Nozomi said curtly and began to drink her Mercuryblast.

Had all the time running a bar with marginal profit finally gotten to her boss? Or was she always this crazy? "I-I can't just tell her!"

"And why not? I thought you wanted to go out with Honoka." Nozomi only stopped drinking to talk and immediately continued with her Mercuryblast.

"Because what if she… what if she rejects me?" The thought stung much more than what Umi would have liked. "I… I don't wish to make things uncomfortable. A-And she has a girlfriend already..."

"Oh, does she?" Nozomi raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"W-Well… I wouldn't say I'm completely sure she has one, but that designer did seem to be her girlfriend," Umi explained and sighed.

"Umi-chan, oh Umi-chan. You're lookin' at your cup half-empty again," Nozomi shook her head. "A maiden in love shouldn't be brooding! She should be gleefully happy, with butterflies in her stomach."

"I do feel like I'm going to throw up," Umi mumbled.

"Cheer up, Umi-chan. You've got nothing to worry about, you're just overthinking yourself to death as per usual. You don't have to tell Honoka, but the more time you let pass, the more it'll gnaw at your head and the worse those butterflies in there will get," Nozomi explained before getting up and offering her worker the now-empty glass. At least she now had something to actually clean. "Chin up, we've got a customer coming. I'll be in my office," Nozomi bid her farewell with a smile.

"And hey, if you really want that relationship, in the long run it _really_ is about sex!"

Nozomi had taken refuge in the confines of her office too quickly and the steel shaker bottle that Umi threw in a blink of an eye panged against the office door instead of her boss's face.

Umi glared at the door for a few moments before sighing and walking out of her station to pick up her shaker. Even if the conversation had seemed short and even moot, Nozomi was right: Umi would eventually need to talk to Honoka about this, her feelings were not going to simply disappear.

Once back in her station, Umi wiped the shaker as she began to ponder. She needed to come up with a plan. First, she should clarify what was the relationship between Honoka and Kotori. As much as it pained her to think that there was one in the first place, it would certainly put a quick end to this ordeal. There are plenty of people out there in Neo Tokyo that Umi had yet to meet after all. Going out to meet them seemed like a pain though, and none of the people who came to Lily White shone as bright as the police officer. Umi cursed internally, she was still overthinking everything like Nozomi had said, and she was not getting anywhere. She was in dire need of a distraction, something to clear her mind. More than ever before Umi cursed the lack of customers in the bar-

" _Hello?_ "

Umi had lost count how many times she had failed to notice people in front of her tonight. Looking up, Umi saw Maki sitting in front of her, her designer clothes halfway hidden by contrastingly white coat she wore over them.

"Oh, um, welcome to Lily White," were all the words that Umi managed to mutter out. With the way things had gone last time Umi saw the doctor, she was certain that she would not come back ever again.

"Uh, yeah," Maki seemed almost as distracted as the bartender as she looked around the bar. "Has that Lilim come back?"

"E-Excuse me?" Maki's sudden question caught Umi off-guard. "Do you know Hanayo?"

"Wha- Hanayo?" The doctor repeated in confusion before shaking her head. "No, I meant the idol. The singing robot."

"Oh, Nico," Umi should have realized sooner. "No, you made sure to scare her off." The memories of that night were still fresh in her mind, of how unnerving it had been to discover that Lilim could be that upset.

"O-Oh." Maki raised one hand to one of her bangs and started to twirl it. She was not sporting a ponytail this time, Umi noticed. In fact, all of her appearance seemed less taken care of, her clothes had wrinkles under the coat and even her makeup did a poor job to conceal the dark eyebags on her face. "A Sunshine Cloud, please."

Umi nodded and began to prepare her ingredients. As she poured the halves of Adelhyde and Bronson Extract, Umi decided it was for the best to keep the client sober and refrained from adding any alcohol. "I presumed you wouldn't be coming back," Umi commented as the drink blended.

"Work's been more stressful than usual, so I needed a drink," Maki explained once the blending process was over.

"It has been getting colder, so I'm guessing more people come in with a cold," Umi chit chatted as she finished preparing Maki's drink.

"It's a private hospital, people don't come to us just for a cold," Maki denied Umi's idea as she took her glass. "I've been having problems focusing and concentrating."

"And you thought coming for alcohol would help you with that," Umi deadpanned.

"Yes," Maki agreed and was about to take her first sip before slamming her drink onto the counter. "No, wait, no! That's not what I came here for!"

Umi was impressed: she had not even started to drink and she was stammering already. "Why do you come to a bar if not to drink then?"

"T-That's none of your business," Maki mumbled before starting on her drink.

Umi had never been as good at reading people as Nozomi but years of experience had taught her enough to see through the red haired doctor. She had probably come to offer an apology, to her if not to Nico. It was a shame that the idol never came back, as annoying as she was. She did seem to genuinely care for the things she loved, like her family. Umi had not picked it up at first, but thinking back on those previous days made her realize the small changes in the Lilim's demeanor when she talked about those things.

"So she really hasn't come back?" Maki asked again, her glass lying empty on the counter. Her voice showed a cocktail of feelings, one too familiar for Umi when she had to deal with people who had tried to drown their problems with booze, but Maki was completely sober.

"Do I have a reason to lie about it?" Umi asked as she inspected Maki's expression. It seemed vacant at first glance, but Umi knew better. "No, she hasn't."

Maki took a deep breath and let it out with long groan. "Great, I made sure to come early tonight in the hopes of finding her and apparently she's been long gone. I won't be able to concentrate fully in my work, I'll probably have to put off some appointments and…" Maki's rant grew quieter until her words her an inaudible mumble for Umi. "Grizzly Temple." Her voice picked up just to order another drink.

Umi could not remember when was the last time someone had ordered a Grizzly Temple without a hint of irony in their voice. According to many, Umi included, it was one of the worst drinks in the BTC menu. _Three Adelhyde, three Bronson Extract, three Powdered Delta and one Karmotrine. All blended._ Once poured into its glass, Umi handed the order.

"Look, if you really want to apologize," Umi started as she dug her phone out of her pocket, "she gave us her contact details." Under normal circumstances, Umi would have never shared private information of her clients to other clients, but she did not want to witness another fight like that again. At least not in the bar.

"W-Who said I wanted to apologize to her," Maki mumbled defensively before sipping her drink.

"So you don't want it?" Umi took out a pen and was ready to write on a piece of paper. Taking a sneaky glimpse, she saw Maki staring intently.

"I-I never said that, just give me the number."

Umi managed to control her eye roll and simply shook her head as she began to write Nico's contact information.

"Officer Kousaka Honoka, presenting for duty!" Honoka's loud announcement of her arrival made Maki jump in her seat as she pocketed the scrap of paper. The police officer cheerfully walked to the empty seat next to Maki and waved at Umi. The doctor eyed the officer for a brief moment before going back to her drink. "Evening, Umi-chan," she greeted with a smile.

"A-Ah, Honoka." Umi found it difficult to keep her face straight when she felt her cheeks flushing. "H-How are you?"

"Hmm, well, I guess I'm fine. Had a scuffle with a guy who didn't want to take his parking ticket." She crossed her arms and shook her head disapprovingly. "The nerve of some people!"

"There's a fair share of people who'll refuse to pay additional fees," Umi pointed out, "money can come short when basic necessities become more expensive every once in a while." Umi knew better than anyone else about the importance of saving.

"A parking citation is basically pocket change," Maki chirped in offhandedly before sipping her drink.

"Wow, you must be some kind of rich doctor." Honoka's joke only got a raised eyebrow from Maki. "A Beer please! Oh, and I'm Honoka, by the way."

Maki inspected the officer once more before presenting herself. "Maki," was all she said.

"Well Maki-chan, it's a pleasure!"

"Wha- hey! Who told you you can address me so casually?" Maki asked defensively.

"Well, you only gave me a name to work with." Honoka laughed and scratched the back of her head. "Would you prefer it if I was rude to you?"

"What're you saying? You're making no sense," Maki mumbled and tried to take another sip before realizing her drink was empty. "Another Grizzly Temple, please." Umi nodded and started to prepare Maki's order as she finished Honoka's.

"Yuck, Grizzly Temple, Beer's definitely the way to go," Honoka said to herself as she took her Beer and swayed it side to side like an excited child.

"Excuse me?" Maki turned to Honoka and glared; the doctor frowned even more when she saw how Honoka was too busy happily drinking her Beer to even notice her. "What's wrong with a Grizzly Temple?"

"Hm?" Honoka put down her drink and looked at Maki in confusion. "What do you mean? It's pretty awful-tasting, bitter and bland."

"And you-"

" _Here,_ " Umi interrupted Maki before things got out of hand and placed her order on the counter. "And _you_ should stop," she said and glaring at Honoka.

Honoka could only laugh nervously under Umi's piercing eyes. "Sorry." Honoka's apology was vague enough to be directed to both the bartender and the doctor. Maki still looked unconvinced but went back to her drink. Umi was just glad she defused the situation before another fight blew up in front of her.

Umi took a deep breath and started to think. She needed to clear everything with Honoka so she could finally sort out her own feelings. Perhaps not in front of the doctor; hopefully she left before Honoka did.

"Oh hell _no_."

Umi looked up to see that Nico had just entered the bar, any pretense of a grandiose entrance gone and replaced by a scowl directed to the doctor.

"Oh, Nico," was the only thing Umi managed to say. Honoka gasped loudly while Maki looked back at Nico and visibly failing to not scowl back.

"The feeling is mutual," Maki snarked as Nico walked to the counter, taking a seat next to Honoka. Well, rather than next to Honoka, it would be better described as taking the seat that was not next to Maki's.

"Well, Nico managed to get a day off so she had planned to wrap it up on a happy note with a couple of drinks! So…" Nico flipped one of her twintails and with a mocking smile she looked at the doctor, "why don't you just leave?"

"Hi! I'm Honoka, big fan-"

Maki frowned and her finger once more began to twirl with her hair. "Actually, I've been meaning to see you-"

"Well, Maki- _chan_! If you wanted to see Nico sooo badly, why don't you just lift that mug of yours to look at a billboard or something?"

"Excuse me? I go out of my way to come here to apologize and-"

"Oh, now the oh-so intellectual redhead wants to apologize to Nico! Yeah, and while she's at it, I'm sure she wants to insult her family, just like she did to her career!"

"Umm.. Umi-chan…" Honoka could not help but to have shrunk her shoulders as the women at her sides began to yell.

"Hey! Take that back! I-"

"Well, where's my apology? Nico's waiting-!"

" _Enough!_ " Umi slammed her hands on her mixing station loud enough to silence Nico and Maki. "If you're going to fight, do it outside. Your pointless bickering is scaring the other customers."

"Pointless bickering? She's the one who started it!" Maki huffed and turned away from Nico.

"I-It's fine, Umi-chan." Honoka laughed nervously and she slowly sat back up.

"Please don't kick out Nico? She's really sorry for getting into another fight with a dumb woman," Nico apologized before glaring at the doctor.

Umi audibly groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. If this kept on going, she would have to remove both of them from the premises and that would certainly kill any sort of mood for talking with Honoka.

"Um… Maki-chan said she wants to apologize, so why don't you just let her?" Honoka asked Nico.

"Because she insulted Nico! And she's so arrogant and full of herself-"

"So what? She came here to apologize. Isn't that good enough for now?" Honoka pressed on.

"N-No! Because-"

"Because what?" Honoka pressed on. The genuine curiosity in Honoka's gaze made Nico and her pride falter. Nico tried to come up with something to say but nothing would come out of her voice receptors.

"F-Fine, okay! Nico gets it!" Nico threw her arms in the air before turning away and crossing them. After an annoyed sigh, she turned back to Honoka and Maki. "Fine, Nico's all ears."

Honoka turned around to look at Maki, who looked back at her from the corner of her eye before turning away. "And?"

"I-I'm not going to apologize to that _robot_."

Nico gasped offendedly, but before she could say anything in return, Honoka interrupted her. "Hey! That wasn't nice. You said you came here to apologize, so why are you insulting her again?" Maki simply huffed in response. "You're just giving her an actual reason to be angry now, you know? And then she's going to leave, then you would've come here for nothing, and then you'd feel bad for insulting her again and how you'll never see her again and-"

"Fine! I get it!" Maki quickly turned around and covered Honoka's mouth. "Shut up, will you! I'm sorry!"

Honoka leaned back and took a quick glimpse at Nico before going back to Maki. "Sorry to me or her?"

"To her! A-And to you too, I guess," Maki mumbled as she started to twirl her finger in her hair once more.

Honoka looked at the Lilim, and under her gaze she gave in once more. "Fine, okay. Nico accepts your apology."

"There! Was that so hard?" Honoka asked with a smile. "Bartender! A round of Beers for everyone!"

"I shouldn't, but fine. Just this once."

"Nico won't say no to a free drink!"

Impressed would be an understatement of how Umi felt about Honoka; she had managed to calm both women and reconcile them despite how stubborn prideful they were. She had been planning to talk with Honoka but she found herself at a lack of words again.

"Three Beers," Umi mumbled as she placed the three glass mugs on the counter.

Nico looked at the beer curiously, inspecting it from side to side and even lifting the mug to look at its bottom side. "I've never had a Beer that wasn't canned."

"Canned beers aren't that bad, but these ones are way better!" Honoka lifted her drink and waved it, spilling a slight bit of its contents.

"In comparison to the ones I prepare, canned beers are watered down," Umi explained.

"Craft Beer's better," Maki mumbled before taking a small sip of her Beer.

"Oh, you're just full of unnecessary comments, aren't you?" Nico glared at the doctor for a second before starting to chug her Beer.

"Whoah! That's the way to go, Nico!" Honoka cheered on the Lilim as she petite girl kept chugging and chugging until the mug was empty. "You've got spirits, Nico-chan! That's what I love about you!"

"Oh, you're a fan?" Nico was all too pleased of having impressed another fan and smiled. She flipped her hair once, took out a marker and placed it right above the empty mug. "Do you want my autograph?"

"Oh, no no no, I couldn't-"

"For free! For being such a good crowd for Nico's Beer drinking."

"No, I couldn't have it on Umi-chan's glass. It's not mine," Honoka clarified. Nico was left with her mouth wide open, not in her lifetime had she had an autograph declined for a reason like that. "Oh, you could autograph my phone!" Honoka suggested as she pulled out her phone from her pocket.

"Sure, love! Can Nico get your name?" Nico asked before jotting down her signature in Honoka's phone. Before handing it back, Nico unlocked the password-less phone, something unfitting for a police officer, Umi thought, and activated its camera. "Wanna take a photo?"

"Oh, yeah! You bet I wanna!" Honoka nodded with excitement and placed her fingers just like Nico did.

"Hey hey, redhead! You too, pose! Get in the shot too, Umi!" Nico commanded rather than asked and the sparkling joy in Honoka's eyes made it difficult for either of the two women to say no. To get everyone in the shot, Nico got off her seat to get a better angle and Honoka wrapped an arm around Umi's shoulders to pull her close. Umi could feel the heat rise up to her ears and could barely move to do the Nico's hand pose or even face the camera. Maki reluctantly put her hands like Nico before the picture was taken.

"Wow, thanks!" Honoka said with excitement as Nico handed back the phone once she made sure to send the picture to herself.

"Don't mention it." Nico grinned and patted Honoka's shoulder. "And you, Maki-chan?"

"W-What?" Maki asked with slight suspicion and put the mug of Beer between her and the Lilim when she approached her.

"Gimme your phone number."

"What? Why would I do that?"

"So I can send you the photo too, duh."

"Who said I wanted it?" Maki glared at Nico who seemed unfazed by her defensiveness.

"Stop being so stubborn and give it to Nico! And maybe you can invite Nico somewhere to apologize properly and not in some shoddy bar in the middle of nowhere." Nico finally glared back.

After a few moments of staring down at each other, Maki sighed and pulled out a card and a pen from her purse. Writing down something on it, she began to wave it at Nico. "Here, take it or leave it."

Nico snagged the card and began to read it "Dr Nishikino Maki… Nishikino Medical Center… wait, this is a business card!"

"And all of my contact information is there," Maki pointed out and turned back to the counter.

"You're gonna have the great Nico Nii book an appointment?!"

"I wrote my phone number on the back of the card, idiot."

Nico flipped the card. "Oh, and so it is," Nico mumbled and pocketed the card. "Fine, well, Nico got a free drink and a pretty girl's number, she'd say it's been a pretty successful night." Maki choked on her Beer when she heard Nico's comment. "Well, Nico should leave. She needs to scout out for a nice and expensive restaurant~," she cheerfully said her farewell and skipped out of the bar.

"I'm going to regret doing that," Maki groaned and rested her head on the counter.

"Well, at least you're not gonna regret not apologizing anymore!" Honoka pointed out and gave Maki a thumbs up.

Maki smiled a little bit. "Yeah, I guess so."

Umi couldn't help but to wonder how Nico and Maki's first interaction would have gone if Honoka had been there.

"Ugh... I need to go," Maki said as she slowly pulled herself up from the counter. "I have work tomorrow and I hadn't even planned on drinking too much tonight." _Too much_ , she says. "It was a pleasure, officer."

"Please, my friends call me Honoka," Honoka corrected her and smiled before offering Maki a hand to get up. Maki blushed a little but was drunk enough to swallow her pride and take the help, even if she did not need it.

"It was nice meeting you, Honoka," Maki said once more and waved at Umi. "Um, thanks for the drinks. They were as good as I remembered them."

"Thanks for your patronage."

"Bye bye, Maki-chan!" Honoka waved goodbye at the doctor and turned back to Umi once she was gone. Taking out her phone, she gleefully stared at the autograph. "Man, what a night."

"You could say that again," Umi mumbled and, without realizing it found herself staring at Honoka. If only more people could be like her the world would be a much better place.

"I got a selfie with Nico! And her autograph too!" Honoka hummed happily. "I'm glad she didn't ask me to name some of her songs because I don't remember any of their titles." Umi would have laughed if she was not the same, but in her defense she had only heard Nico's songs once.

Now that the two of them were alone, ignoring Rin on the other side of the bar, Umi had to steel herself for now was her chance. Her chance to find out about everything and if it all went well she could have something to look forward to beside Lily White. All she had to do was clear up all the things Umi did not know about and ask Honoka about her relationship with Kotori. What could be the worst thing that could happen-

"Hm? My relationship with Kotori-chan?"

Umi froze. Had she been thinking out loud all this time? The confused look on Honoka's face was all the confirmation she needed and this _was_ probably the worst thing that could have happened. How much had she even said? Her thoughts were scrambling to remember anything but the pit that she was suddenly feeling in her stomach could not let her think. Was the bar always been this stuffy? Umi could not breathe no matter how air she tried inhale.

She could only hear faint sounds of Honoka as she stepped away from the counter and out the door to the back alley.

* * *

Umi just had to ask. How hard was that? Apparently too hard because everything that could have gone wrong had gone wrong. Nozomi and Rin were right, she overthinks everything and now that had screwed everything up. At least out here she could finally breathe fresh air. Well, at least as fresh as it got in Neo Tokyo, certainly fresher than inside the bar. Umi pressed her back against one of the alley's wall and slid down just before touching the ground. Hugging her legs, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath of the fresh night air. Fresh and cold air. Temperatures had been dropping with each day and tonight had gotten to the point where one could see their own breath. Umi left her coat inside, but going back to get it right now… Umi could stand in the cold for a couple more minutes. Going back in there after leaving Honoka like that would be-

"Umi-chan? Are you okay?" Honoka walked out of the bar's back door and into the alley.

"H-Honoka?" Umi quickly stood up and dusted the rear of her skirt. It was not like she was sitting on the floor, but a fetal position was not one she wanted to be seen in. "W-What are you doing here?"

"Your co-worker told me you went out for your break, and when I asked if I could come out here she insisted I gave you a few moments and then gave me your coat too. Here," Honoka explained and handed Umi her coat. The bartender stared at it dumbfounded for a few seconds before taking it. "Do you have panic attacks frequently?"

"U-Um… no. Last time I had one was before a BTC test back when I was in training…" Umi said as she put on her coat. She felt a slight shiver from its unworn coldness but it was better than not wearing it. Back then, Rin and Nozomi had helped her calm down in time to take the test she had forgotten to study for and in the end she breezed through the test, something she still felt embarrassed about.

"How are you feeling now?" Honoka asked before pressing her back on the wall too, next to Umi.

Umi took another deep breath and watched her breath dissipate in front of her. "Better. Thanks for asking."

"Hey, don't mention it." Despite the cold temperatures, Honoka's smile warmed Umi as always. Out in the alley actually felt warmer.

Neither spoke another word, falling into a comfortable silence. Only the faint bustling of the city reminded them that there was a whole world out there.

"Thanks for checking up on me, Honoka. A-And sorry for leaving you like that," Umi apologized.

"It's fine, it happens to the best of us." Honoka's comment made Umi smile. "Kotori-chan has had them sometimes when she stresses too much."

Kotori again. It felt like a pang on Umi's insides, but even so, now was the best time to ask her. Finally be able to cope with her feelings.

"U-Um, Honoka?" Honoka looked at Umi with such attentiveness that it almost hurt to make such a strong question. "W-What is your relationship with Kotori?"

"Kotori-chan?" Honoka repeated with a confused look. "Well… we've been friends for a long time. We've been through a lot of things together, highs and lows, we've known each other since we were little kids. She was even my first kiss!" Honoka reminisced with a blush and a chuckle.

 _Oh._ Somehow, it hurt so much more than Umi had been expecting. She supposed that deep down she hoped that there was no relationship at all between the two, as awful as it sounded.

"But…" Honoka continued, looking down at the ground and kicking a littered can, "it really didn't work out, we only dated for like a week or two. Thankfully we're still friends and hang out a lot. Truthfully, I don't have much going on my life so having Kotori-chan as a friend has helped me out a ton."

 _Oh._ Umi had never felt such a whiplash of opposite emotions in a such a short span of time, but leave it to this police officer to make it happen.

"What's up? Are you interested in her? She's pretty cute! She cooks the most amazing sweets, has a lovely voice, always looks out for you, she will pretty much give you free clothes if you date her…"

Umi was not sure at what point she had stopped listening, instead having focused on taking a deep breath and steel herself once more.

"No, the one I'm interested in is you, Honoka."

"And then one time-" Umi had managed to silence Honoka. Whether it was a good or a bad signal she did not know but she tried to not let it get to her. Not now. "I uh… r-really? Me? Not Kotori-chan?"

"I don't know why you keep thinking that I'd want to date her. I barely know her, but I know that these complicated feelings I've had since you showed up are about you, and that… t-that I want to… d-date you." Umi did her best to power through the embarrassment of her words.

"Well, because Kotori-chan is so much better than me. I'm clumsy, dumb, trusting to a fault, and-"

Umi shook her head and took hold of Honoka's hand tightly. "Then, please, trust me on this. On my feelings. I… I like you, and if possible… w-would like to date you."

Honoka could not help but to swallow some of her doubts when Umi's gaze was as serious as it was. She felt heat crawl up to her ears, growing self conscious of how much Umi was staring at her. "Kotori-chan only managed to up with me for like a week, you know?"

"I'm not Kotori."

"Then… I think I'd like to see you more often. Outside the bar."

"Are we… not outside the bar?" Umi asked, confused. She could not help but to look around the alley. "Or do you mean-"

Honoka interrupted the bartender by giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. "I meant on dates."

It took a couple of second for Umi to realize what had just happened, her face flushing red. "H-Honoka!" she yelled and pushed Honoka away.

"Y-Yeah?" Honoka laughed heartily, seeing Umi's face as red as it was.

"T-Tell me if you're going to k..! To…! To k-kiss me," Umi's roaring voice quickly turned the meekest Honoka had ever heard Umi talk.

Honoka laughed some more, much to the bartender's dismay. After wiping away a tear, Honoka took a deep breath to compose herself. "Umi-chan, can I kiss you?"

Umi's blush only got worse, something neither of them were aware was even possible. "A-Actually being asked is worse. Please don't ask if you can kiss me."

"Then… I can?"

After another deep breath, Umi sighed and nodded. "Y-Yes… you can."

Honoka smiled, and despite her embarrassment, Umi smiled back. Honoka took hold of one of Umi's hands, their fingers entwining as she leaned closer to Umi. Closing her eyes, Honoka kissed Umi on the lips, this time savoring the moment, her other arm pulling Umi closer.

The sudden noise of the back door sliding open startled both girls, breaking the kiss to find Rin staring with her mouth wide open.

"Oh! Sorry, keep going!" Rin waved at them and backed up. "Nozomi! Umi-chan and the cop were making ou-!" As the door closed, the soundproofed walls of L1-L1 WH80 cut off the rest of the cat boomer's announcement.

It would also soundproof Umi's pending fury upon her co-worker.

"Umi-chan, could we stay like this for a bit?"

Well, all of that could wait. She knew that if a police officer ever asked her something, the best course of action would be to simply agree with them.

* * *

 _A/N: And it's done! Thank you so much for reaching this finish line alongside me. This is my first multi-chapter fic that I've managed to finish, and honestly, it feels pretty great. It also feels like I've lifted a huge weight off my back and can now guiltlessly write other thingies. Some actual Christmas ideas and prompts have taken the back seat this past week so I could finally finish this. All the reviews that have been left here were a huge motivation to continue this AU I came up with half a year ago, so I truly appreciate all of you._

 _L1-L1 WH-80 is done! This last chapter came out as the longest one yet (actually each chapter got progressively longer) and I think this is chapter alone is my longest piece yet, coming out at almost 6k. A number not too impressive when compared to others but this is a new benchmark for me, hopefully one that I'll surpass one day. If the ending was disappointing, I apologize for not living up to the expectations. I always wanted to finish it up in the back alley, a setting that was also present in VA-11 HALL-A. The only one I couldn't get a chance to recreate was Jill's apartment, but I didn't want to take the story outside the bar._

 _Oh hey, and apparently I took so long a VA-11 HALL-A sequel was announced. Yikes!_

 _I would love to revisit this AU and explore other characters and other parts of this setting, so look forward to that at some point in the future :)_

 _Hopefully I'll get to post something before the 31st, but if not, happy holidays everyone._


End file.
